Join The Friends of Ravenscourt Park Walled Garden
Volunteers welcome to help maintain local hidden gem
The walled garden in Ravenscourt Park
January 15, 2024
If you enjoy gardening and are interested in getting involved in a local community project, The Friends of the Walled Garden would love to hear from you.
The Scented Walled Garden is a hidden gem in the north east corner of Ravenscourt Park, which was once the kitchen garden of the moated manor house Palingswick Manor, built in 1650.
When the estate on the borders of Hammersmith, Chiswick and Shepherd's Bush became a public park in 1888, the London County Council’s Head of Parks, Lt Col J. J Sexby, laid out the 30 acres of grounds and designed the walled garden in a traditional Victorian ‘Old English’ style with rose beds, pergolas, rose arches and exotic herbaceous beds featuring yuccas, giant poppies, irises and gunnera.
20 years ago, the walled garden had become a little used, overgrown tangle of weeds, but since then has been restored with support from The Friends of the Walled Garden", working with Hammersmith & Fulham Council to restore it to a beautiful, tranquil space.
In 2013, a new Armillary sundial was erected in the garden to mark the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Park to the public on 19 May 1888.
Volunteers at work in Ravenscourt Park
The Friends meet in the garden on the first Saturday of each month, and more often in the summer and newcomers are very welcome to join them from Saturday 3 February, from 10.30am till 12.30pm.
No previous experience is required and garden tools are provided, but volunteers are asked to bring their own gloves and tools if they have them, including trowels, forks, hoes and secateurs. Find out more and read other volunteers’ stories here.
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