Barker Gate Rest Garden is a lovely little park in the heart of Nottingham’s historic Lace Market and has undergone a revamp thanks to Nottingham City Women’s Institute.

 

 
Location:
Nottingham
Services:

Landscape

Budget:
£0.0m probono
Client:
Nottingham City WI
Sector:
Landscape Architecture
Culture & Leisure
 

Originally the site of a burial ground dating back to 1742, the garden was created in the 1950s and nestles between offices and apartments in the City’s Creative Quarter.  Over the years it’s lacked the love it deserves and was in need of rejuvenation.

With permission from the City Council, the City WI secured funding from the Government’s Pocket Park scheme to improve and enhance the park.  Our team of landscape architects have helped the WI to realise their vision by preparing planting plans and offering advice.  

 

Working with the WI we have created defined spaces within the park, including a section dedicated to wild flowers. This will be allowed to go to seed after flowering, to provide feeding and nesting opportunities for wildlife and also to produce nutritious leaf mulch and house a carefully designed insect ‘hotel’, allowing a variety of insects to breed and hibernate.

 

The City WI is a member of the Nottingham Bee Forum so the planting plan includes bee-friendly plants. This will also support Nottingham’s Bee Action Plan, which encourages the introduction of pollinator-friendly plants throughout the city, to create ‘green corridors’ to attract bees and other pollinating insects.

 

The City WI want to encourage birds into the new pocket park too, by installing a variety of feeding stations and nesting boxes.

The park was awarded an RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood Level 4 award.

 

In addition, new pathways were installed by local contractor Clegg Construction, who joined in the community spirit by providing their services to help with the paving and to bring the park back to its former glory.