The Walled Garden

In 2014 Derby City Council put the management of the walled garden, including a Bothy and poly tunnel, out to expression of interest. In the November Friends of Markeaton Park were offered the lease of the garden.
Our aim is to restore the garden back to its former glories, when it would have produced fruit, vegetables, herbs and cut flowers for the hall, so it can be enjoyed by the local community. Thanks to funding from the University of Derby we were able to buy tools, seeds, compost etc to get the project underway. Volunteers set about clearing the garden of all rubbish and weeds and in the first spring 75% of the garden was brought back into use. The bothy was restored with some of the Heritage Lottery Fund monies the park was awarded.

Before

After

The garden was officially opened in August 2015 by our patron, Jonathan Moseley.

The Grand Opening

With the help of the Allestree Neighbourhood Board over the winter of 2015 the small poly tunnel was repaired and recovered. In the spring of 2015 the council gave us some raised beds, which were no longer in use and Toyota also funded some raised beds for our young gardeners club.

Over the winter of 2016 we are hoping to rebuild the brick wall to the side of the bothy, which once housed the old glass house, build some traditional cold frames, create a small orchard area, re-plant the bed to the left of the gate as you enter the garden and replace some of the raised beds in the large poly tunnel.

The walled garden is open to the public on weekends. From Monday 1st April 2017 to Thursday 28 September 2017 the garden will be open to the public 2 - 4.00pm each Monday and 10 - 12 noon each Thursday when seasonal produce and plants will be available for purchase.. It is also open on weekends and on Monday afternoons and Thursday mornings for volunteering. We sell the produce we grow and plants to fund our activities. We also hold events, horticultural workshops and put on activities for schools and other groups in the garden.