Latest Update January 2018
New Garden Opening A Blooming Success
After several years of hard work and fund-raising the once
neglected space to the rear of Wareham Library is now a totally
revitalised community garden, exhibition and display space all
rolled into one.
As well as the original Tree of Life & Laughter there are flower
beds, one planted by the children of St Mary’s Primary School;
ceramic murals created by children and the students of the Purbeck
Day Centre with the help of Purbeck Art Weeks; a bug hotel
designed by Stoborough School ECO Group and built by Domvs;
enhanced Roman Villa threshold remains from the Bucknowle
excavation in the 1970s; commemorative benches, trees and plaques.
On Tuesday 19th September local schools, community groups,
businesses and all those involved in the project came together for
the grand opening, the ribbon being cut by the children of St
Mary’s Primary School.
‘It’s not until you take a step back and look at what has been
achieved that you realise how hard working and supportive of each
other our community is here in Purbeck, and long may it continue,’
says John Scott, Development Manager, Wareham & District
Development Trust, and leader of the project.
‘We still have work to do, more benches, tables and planters to
source, but we are already looking at all the potential uses of
the space created. We have had discussions with local groups and
businesses, and some local attractions, and hope to start taking
bookings for Easter 2018 onwards,’ says John.
The Garden has been created for one and all to enjoy, resident and
visitor alike, and is accessible through the Library every day
except Sundays.
********************************
Update January 2017
The garden is almost finished! Here are a selection of photos
taken over the spring and summer of 2017: (Click on the photos to
enlarge)
********************************
2015
Currently, to the rear of Wareham Library,
there is a large walled garden with some flower beds, a few bushes
and a couple of benches, plus Wareham’s ‘Tree of Life and
Laughter’, and remains of a 200AD Roman villa threshold. Although
the garden is accessible to the general public it’s lack of appeal
means that it is only used by a handful of people each week,
whereas the Library itself, and the Discover Purbeck Information
Centre who share the building, have a combined footfall of over
100,000 people per year.
Our ‘partners’, they being the Library itself,
Discover Purbeck, Wareham Town Council, Wareham In Bloom, the
Registrars, who also share the building, Stoborough WI, Dorset
Wildlife Trust, the Allotments Association, and the Library users
and Purbeck community in general, would like us to convert the
garden into a more vibrant, more usable and far more welcoming
space. The creators of the ‘Tree of Life and Laughter’, Wareham
Senior Forum and children from two local schools, would also like
their efforts to be better displayed, appreciated and enjoyed by
far more people than at the moment.
Last year (2014) we formed a committee of all
the partners with a small ‘working group’ of four. This group, led
by the Trust, drew up a brief and then invited three local
landscape designers to submit plans for the total redevelopment of
the garden. Of the three plans one was preferred and based on that
three local contractors were then invited to submit quotations for
the work. It is this work that we now require funding for.
Added to this there is a further element that we also need funding
for. Currently within the garden are the remains of a Roman
threshold, part of a local Roman villa excavation and donated to
the Library some years ago. At the moment this important piece of
our social heritage is but a pile of stones on the ground. It is
our intention to move the threshold to the south west corner of
the garden and place behind it a 2.2m x 2.2m ‘trompe-l’oeil’
creating a representation of the view through the doorway into the
furnace room of the villa as it once was, and accompanied by
relevant information. We have the full support of Dorset County
Museum, Dorset County Council, Wareham Archaeology Society and
Lilan Ladle MBE. Three quotations for this element of the project
have also been requested and received.
At the moment the garden is, as I have said, a
totally underused space, with a town centre location, situated
within easy access of all the amenities including good transport
links, and therefore potentially accessible to the 100,000 people
who already use the Library and Discover Purbeck Information
Centre, the whole community of Purbeck and our many thousands of
visitors each year. There is no other space within Wareham like it
and the town has no real parks or areas of trees.
All those involved in the project would like
the area to be used not only as a tranquil green space on some
occasions, in which to relax, read a book and enjoy a coffee, but
also on other occasions to be a vibrant and thriving venue for
local organisations, groups, school parties. A venue for craft
displays, exhibitions, a whole host of opportunities, and even
weddings.
Basically we all want to convert the space from a
‘forgotten garden’ into a multi-functioning facility available to
one and all, and at the same time raise enough revenue to be able
to manage and maintain, and improve if needs be, the whole
facility for the next 20 years at least. (20 years being the agreed timescale of the
lease between the Trust and Dorset County Council, the owners of
the land)
What others have said
‘The garden could become a haven for the
community to enjoy, a natural and pleasing garden with full
wheelchair access and encouraging wildlife. Also ideal for craft
displays, local produce sales and special presentations.’
Beryl Ezard, Councillor, Dorset County Council
‘Existing activities for children such as
Rhyme Time, Library Gets Lively, Chatterbooks, Teen Reading Group,
holiday events, stories and crafts, Adult Play Reading, charity
fairs, gatherings and even weddings could all move outdoors into a
splendid new location.’
Jude Leyman, Library Manager
‘The plans to improve the outdoor area of
the Library look very exciting and will certainly make the space
much more attractive for local people and visitors alike. It will
increase the area’s value for wildlife and improve its amenity
value considerably. Overwhelming evidence is available showing the
benefits to human health of being outside surrounded by a more
natural environment, so any encouragement for people to do this is
definitely to be applauded.’
Briony Baxter, Dorset Wildlife Trust
The situation is, at July
2015:
The Trust has agreed to lease the garden from
Dorset County Council for the next 20 years, until 2035.
Being an extended lease holder now allows the
Trust to be able to apply for funding to go towards the £40,000.00
need to complete the work, hopefully by April 2016.
Applications for funding support have been,
and continue to be, sent out, and we hope to hear some positive
feed back by September so that the work can begin in
October/November.
Our own fund-raising efforts and donations
have already raised £3,000.00.
The ‘diary’ will be updated as and when we
have further news to tell you.
The current situation is, as of
January 2016:
The Trust has agreed to lease the garden from
Dorset County Council for the next 20 years, until 2035.
Being an extended lease holder now allows the
Trust to be able to apply for funding to go towards the £40,000.00
need to complete the work, hopefully now by the summer of 2016.
Applications for funding support have been,
and continue to be, sent out, and we are beginning to hear some
positive feed back and achieve some results.
Our fund-raising efforts and donations thus
far have already raised over £10,000.00, with contributions of
£3,000.00 from the Valentine Charitable Trust, £500.00 from the
Purbeck Rally, and just this week £750.00 as a Wessex Watermark
Award. (See the press release and photo below.)
The ‘diary’ will be further updated as and
when we have news of two outstanding applications, which if
successful, will mean that we will have achieved our target and
work can begin.
Contact
details:
John Scott, Development Manager, Wareham & District
Development Trust
01929 554236 Mob: 07971 029940 E-mail:
john@wddt.org.uk