The Community Wildlife Garden

The Community Wildlife Garden is a hidden gem, tucked away off York Bridge Road, south of the Will to Win tennis centre. There are two entrances – one from York Bridge Road and one from the Inner Circle – both with signs for Will to Win tennis. The area was once the domain of the Toxophilite Society, a society for archery, from the 1830s to the 1930s.

In the Second World War, it became a dumping ground for rubble from bomb damaged buildings and was grassed over as open parkland without any garden features. It was designed in its current form in 2006 providing wildlife habitats and garden features, funded by RSPB and constructed over a 3 year period, 2006-09. The garden is now maintained by Royal Parks volunteers.

the-slate-drive-front-garden

One of the garden’s objectives is to provide a physical demonstration for the public of small garden features such as raised timber flower beds and the slate drive with planting where a vehicle could be parked (shown above).

Beyond the pond, past a huge red oak, find the cascade ( pictures left and right) running round and down into the lake. The path continues back up to the tennis courts and the exit on to the Inner Circle. Most plants are there to benefit birds, small mammals and insects.

Key Features

  • A range of wonderful trees. Next to the tennis courts, you can find London plane and Indian, horse chestnut, ginkgo, tulip tree and Catalpa.  
  • Near the pond stands a huge Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and an American Sweetgum  (Liquidambar styraciflua) which lost the top half of its trunk in a storm in Autumn 2020. 
  • Come in spring for glorious displays of daffodils, Camassia and cherry blossom.
  • Enjoy the water features: the wildlife pond. You may spot ducks in the cascade, a heron or a coot in the lake; this garden gives space for both bugs and birds to enjoy themselves.

As this garden is a haven for wildlife, we ask that you keep your dogs on leads when visiting.