New Community Garden opens at Alconbury Weald
- 29.04.2025
Alconbury Weald’s new Community Garden, which provides growing, meeting and activity space, is now open for residents and community groups to enjoy. The Community Garden has been co-designed with the community to provide spaces for shared activities and sits alongside the development’s second area of allotments.
During April’s Community Garden launch, residents had the opportunity to try out some of the activities the space could be used for. This included everything from planting bulbs and scattering wildflower seeds, to working out with kettlebells and enjoying a mindful yoga session.
Little ones also enjoyed spending time exploring the garden and listening to professional storyteller Marion Leeper, who took them on exciting and interactive adventures with props and audience participation.
The idea for the Community Garden came from residents who wanted space to grow things and be involved without necessarily wanting to take on an allotment. The Communities team looked at a variety of successful community gardens across the country, and worked with local charity Groundwork East to bring the ideas from residents into the new space coming forward.
In time, the whole space will provide 23 allotment plots, the Community Garden area and additional space, which is currently set aside as grass and will evolve in response to new residents moving in and the volunteers involved in the Garden.
The Community Garden itself includes raised and tabletop timber planters, including planters designed to be used from a wheelchair, trellises for berries, a community orchard, a roofed storytelling area and a pergola for community activities.
Adam Castleton has been brought in by Alconbury Weald masterdeveloper Urban&Civic to support the early volunteers, organise activities and develop plans for future uses, having supported similar spaces in Peterborough.
“It was lovely to meet so many enthusiastic individuals, couples and families during the community tree planting session we held in March and at April’s launch event. We’ve already had some great ideas and people have started to put their names down to share some of the communal beds.”
“It has been an amazing journey bringing the Community Garden to life – from initial ideas from residents, through design with Groundwork, further consultation and now here we are: in a space that we hope will provide a peaceful sanctuary for residents to switch off, invest in their mental health and immerse themselves in nature.”
