A designated Local Site Of Importance For Nature Conservation in Camberwell, Southwark, Benhill Nature Garden is open to all. This special space will flourish with the help of its neighbours and friends. Please look out for information about Friends volunteer work days which will be posted on this page. HISTORY
Previously hosting small Victorian terraced houses, the site was cleared during the po
st-war period and became home to prefabs until the 1960s and the completion of the Elmington Estate (begun in 1956). A nature garden was established here in 1982 by Southwark Council, Friends of the Earth and the London Wildlife Trust however the ensuing years saw it fall into neglect and disrepair. Happily, in autumn 2014, Southwark Council, in partnership with The Conservation Volunteers, began work to re-establish it in order to provide access for the community and an opportunity for wildlife education for local schools. Valuable contributions in the planning and building stages came from the Elmington Resident Steering Group and Brunswick Park School. The London Wildlife Trust designed the landscaping which The Conservation Volunteers implemented. Froglife installed the pond and dipping platform
The Official opening of the garden was on 16th June 2015. ECOLOGY
The garden contains a number of habitat areas including: a pond with dipping platform, native hedgerow (hawthorn, blackthorn), a wildflower “meadow”, a mini beast zone (stag beetle loggery), a 'dry' garden ornamental bed, a sensory cockleshell path, composting area and a natural play area. The garden supports many species including birds, frogs, bats and a wide range of pollinators and other vital insects. Mature trees include apple, birch and hazel. The garden is a chemical free zone, native species are carefully sourced and compost bins enable the recycling of the garden’s own green waste to produce compost. The PIED PIER MURAL by Willi Soukop
Robert Browning, the author of the poem ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ was born in Camberwell in 1812. The mural was first erected in 1956 on the Elmington Estate. It was reinstalled on the side of Brunswick Park School overlooking Benhill Nature Garden when the Estate was demolished. Further info: Southwark Council Press Release 10 June 2015:
http://www.southwark.gov.uk/news/article/1978/benhill_road_nature_garden_to_reopen
