(c) Julie Doherty
Wild Walcot
Transformation of the area
Throughout summer 2017, a neglected piece of land next to the Corn Exchange building was turned into a community garden by enthusiastic volunteers, local residents and business owners.
Wild Walcot garden is now one of those places that make people smile as they walk by. A once bare and grey corner at the entrance to Bath’s ‘Artisan Quarter’, it is now a riot of colour – bright yellow with daffodils in spring and blooming throughout the summer with pollinator friendly plants, making it a haven for bees and butterflies . Whether it’s a cold crisp day or swelteringly hot, there is invariably a few people sitting on the bench with their lunch soaking up the sights.
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First Steps
The garden was the first step on the groups venture to creating a wildlife rich, green corridor along Walcot Street. The aim is to link this garden and other areas on Walcot Street to the Vegmead Community Garden within Hedgemead Park. Creating a green corridor provides refuge for butterflies, bees and other wildlife, allowing them to easily go from one rich habitat to the other.
This project was ran by local residents, Avon Wildlife Trust, Vegmead Community Group (local volunteer group promoting organic veg growing for the local community) and Walcot Traders Association (local businesses).
Local Community Volunteers
Wild Walcot
The group have been busy extending the green corridor - with a Bags for Life project, which saw local traders making tote-bag hanging baskets, wildflower meadow planting in Hedgemead Park, bulb planting and plans to collaborate with St Swithins Church. Its success has been recognised a few times by the Bath in Bloom Awards, including a Gold Award in 2018.
The Wild Walcot Group are an inspiring bunch – resourceful, passionate and most importantly they have lots of fun! People of all ages have helped out, including (then) 13 year old Poppy who attended the first gardening sessions back in 2017 and became a committed member of the steering group. Poppy also became an Avon Wildlife Trust Champion.
Every piece of land or unused space is considered as a potential future green space, from a garden through to a window box or planter outside a shop.
Wild Walcot
Benefits of the Project
- Creating and maintaining a natural space in an urban area, for people to use and enjoy
- Strengthening the community
- Rehabilitate a previously abandoned space
- Improving quality of life for residents/visitors
- Ongoing volunteer events and wildlife spotting
- Growing vegetables, harvested and used by volunteers
- Progression into other parts of the street with other areas being planted
- An attractive space to support local businesses
Funding and Resources
Funding and resources were initially provided by local businesses and via an Avon Wildlife Trust project. Funding bids were put in to Bath RAG, RHS and the neighbourhood portion of the Community Infrastructure Levy. Bath & North East Somerset Council also provided some resources.
Wild Walcot
The main resource was and still is the volunteers who maintain the area, by watering, planting and maintaining the garden. Without the driving force from local volunteers, this project would not have been successful. All communities have people with different skills, projects like this bring people together to share their knowledge and reach individual potentials. Volunteer Jobs include:
- Litter pick and cleaning of site
- Bramble clearance
- Cutting wood, building and painting planters
- Filling and planting planters
- Digging and planting new beds
- New fencing
Wild Walcot Before and After
Is there a piece of land nearby that you would like to transform? Team Wilder Resources will help you...
Wald Walcot
