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A very short post on this extraordinary project because, broadly speaking, I’ve said it all before…

But still worth it because this has grown from an idea in a local man’s mind to something which is genuinely spectacular and ‘owned’ by hundreds of people.

Vegetables a plenty as the number of of allotments increases at Elford

There are numerous posts on my site about the Elford Walled Garden Restoration project and how a group of forty or so people from Elford and the surrounding area have taken a run down, derelict, historic garden and house and turned it into something very special.

I’m proud to be Patron of the Gardens Restoration and every time I go there it means more and more as progress hastens… and hastened again, it has. Yet another tranformation since I last went there, last, eight weeks ago with fully planted allotments, a very large village events area and the house largely refurbished with a new roof and extensive internal plastering.

And they really take care with things. Yes, they do buy some things of course. But wherever possible, where trussies are needed, they make them from scratch and where there’s specialist pieces or skills required they get on and build them or learn how to.

So hugely impressive and the plans for its use, both locally, and wider to be of use to older people and the young who have specialist needs is absolutely right.

Sensory garden, tranquility area and other innovative ideas are likely, knowing this lot, to turn into reality.

Worth a visit and also worth becoming a ‘Friend‘ no matter where you live… it is our history and heritage after all.

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This is remarkably similar to the situation that kicked off the amazing Elford Walled Gardens restoration…

You may recall the efforts that went into persuading Birmingham City Council to grant a lease to a community group so they could restore and make sustainable use of the historic gardens at Elford.

Early days at Elford Hall Gardens with an enthusiastic community group

BCC hold, in trust, a very significant estate around parts of Lichfield and Tamworth. The situation regarding Woodhouse Farm is extraordinarily similar to that which I found at Elford.

It’s an unbelievable four and a half years ago since I started in earnest as a newly elected County Councillor to assist the group at Elford with their Birmingham issue. The Elford Hall Estate had fallen into serious disrepair under their trusteeship and there appeared to me to be a viable way forward in reversing that decline and making the Gardens sustainable as a community asset.

Community support at Woodhouse Farm could lead to something great

And it was some time before the City agreed with that point of view and allowed the community group in Elford to take on the project and grant a lease. The latter only happened in the last few months. The group had barely been able to get Birmingham to speak to them for the first eighteen months.

That said,  Birmingham City Council have more recently been exceptionally enthusiastic and helpful to the Elford group including granting substantial funding towards the restoration work. So a huge turnaround!

Woodhouse Community Farm, near to Fisherwick Lakes, is a longstanding family home which is also held in Trust by Birmingham along the same lines as Elford was.

About eighteen months ago the death of the principle tenant resulted in the City Council serving an eviction notice on the remaining family members. Just like the Elford Hall estate, Birmingham were keen to sell off the property to put cash into the Trust and were less than willing to speak about it.

A lovely setting which could be educational and recreational for everyone

But the Stone family at Woodhouse Farm fought back and over the last year or so have received massive support from local people in their efforts to encourage the City to take a more pragmatic stance.

To be honest, whilst lending moral support to the efforts at Woodhouse  Farm, I’ve been conscious not to jeopardise the progress at Elford. But that progress is now irreversible and solid so I’m very happy and willing to throw any influence I have behind the similar community efforts at Fisherwick.

I’ll be writing to Birmingham and assisting the group in a more proactive way to see if we can together replicate the sensational and motivational outcomes enjoyed at Elford.

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The news from the Walled Garden this week just didn’t seem possible four years ago…

I’ve written before about the amazing efforts of a volunteer group of locals who set out determined to restore an historic and very lovely Walled Garden at Elford to its former glory of over 200 years ago.

At that time a grand Hall stood over the gardens area but the whole estate was bequeathed to the care of the City of Birmingham many years ago and fell into disrepair. The Hall was pulled down 50 years ago and the Walled Gardens have deteriorated badly ever since.

But five years ago a handful of local people from Elford Village decided enough was enough and something needed to be done. That ’something’ was a plan to restore the Walled Garden and remaining Gardener’s Cottage.

And after a bit of help from me along the way in dealing with Birmingham City Council, and a rollercoaster ride, the group are now proud holders of a long peppercorn rent lease for the Gardens and a big fat cheque after a successful Heritage Lottery application.

So an amazing boost to the enormous and stunning work the volunteers have been doing to the Gardens and Cottage over the last year or so. Birmingham are fully on board, the Elford Walled Garden is fast returning to its former glory and the £250k funding will mean a significant speeding up towards something very special indeed. 

A wonderful example of a determined community (and lots of them now) pulling together against the odds and my heartiest congratulations to all concerned.

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On past experience of other events this group arrange, this should be fabulous in the setting…

Bonfire party fund raising for the Project on Nov 7th

The Elford Hall Gardens Restoration project is going great guns and the latest news of the involvement of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme is the latest in a string of good news stories for the group. 

And the continued progress, I’m sure, will be the focus of conversations at the first ever bonfire and fireworks party to raise funds for the restoration of the Walled Garden. It should be tremendous, whatever the weather, with plenty going on there.

It’s on the evening of the 7th Novemeber and you can read more about the project and people here.

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