What's on?
Norwich green spaces maintained by volunteers are open to visitors throughout the weekend. Some are even hosting special activities. These cover a wide range and include guided walks, planting seeds, and hands-on activities for children.
Where?
Over 20 green spaces are taking part, from woods to verges, from Grade II listed parks to allotments. We’re using what3words, a system of three word codes to mark the exact location of each one. Go to w3w.co to see where they are.
This is the map of the Norwich Community Gardens Festival. Enable the sidebar from the top right corner to see recommended routes.Scroll further down for descriptions of the routes.
City Centre
Walk through the city centre to experience some of the green spaces taking part in the Norwich Community Gardens Festival. 🌱 Grapes Hill Community Garden (w3w: opens.goats.diary) will be running guided tours of the garden on Saturday 26 April at 11am and 1pm and a Family Garden Group on Sunday 27 April, 12pm - 3pm. 🌱 Strangers' Hall (w3w: spots.finely.curving) will be open on Sunday 27 April between 1pm and 4pm. 🌱 Oasis (w3w: lime.gentle.smooth), 🌱City Hall (w3w: wakes.moon.bubble) and the 🌱Railway Station (w3w: fund.lots.jolly) are always open.
Mile Cross
Wander through Mile Cross during the Norwich Community Gardens Festival and see a small sample of the green spaces maintained by the MX Green Hearts in the area. Meet the volunteers at 🌱 Bacton Road Community Orchard (w3w: cherry.ideal.lists) on both days of the festival between 10am and 12pm, or pop in at any other time and enjoy this beautiful, serene space. See the progress being made at the 🌱 Burges Road Community Garden (w3w: wonderfully.fake.edge) in turning a sunny but steep hillside into an accessible space - Saturday 26 April between 11am and 2pm. Activities here include: creating wildlife houses, sowing seeds and plenty of cake! Join The Common Lot on a working day at 🌱 The Common Plot (w3w: orbit.others.strong), on Saturday 26 April between 11am and 2pm. See the new orchard and the beginning of the wildflower meadow that the🌱 Friends of Sloughbottom park have been planting. Sloughbottom Park (w3w: desk.apple.spices) is open all weekend.
What3Words
Norwich-over-the-Water
Experience Norwich Over the Water (and a bit of Norwich-back-across-the-water) for the Norwich Community Gardens Festival. Start at 🌱 The Oasis by Fye Bridge (w3w: lime.gentle.smooth) and head to 🌱 Shipstone Road Community Garden and meet the volunteers who have been taking care of it. They'll be there on Saturday 26 April between 12pm and 2pm. From there, head to 🌱 Waterloo Park (w3w: glass.posts.misty), a grade II listed green space. The Friends of Waterloo Park will be there on Saturday 26 April between 10pm and 12:30pm and the park is open sunrise to sunset every day. Head back towards the city centre through🌱 Wensum Park and see the newly restored island (w3w: transit.frogs.test). Cross the river at Anderson's Meadow and walk along Marriott's Way (w3w: glass.posts.misty) and find ruins of the old Norwich City Station in 🌱 Train Wood. This area is maintained by Friends of Train Wood and Marriott's Way
West Norwich
NR4 and NR5 are taking part in the Norwich Community Gardens Festival. On Saturday 26 April, you can experience both one of the oldest and most established community gardens in Norwich and one of the newest. Come to 🌱 Sustainable Living Initiative at Marlpit Community Garden (w3w: loves.timing.gained) between 10am and 2pm for fun free family activities all about growing food sustainably. Having just secured permission to use the land a few weeks ago, 🌱 NR5 Community Hub are starting a new community garden just across the street from the West Earlham Library . They will be there between 9:30am and 12:30pm. On Sunday 27 April, head to the 🌱 @ueaofficial grounds (w3w: vast.museum.badge) for a wildlife treasure hunt between 10am and 1pm and a guided walk on the campus ecology at 2pm. 🌱 Eaton Park (w3w: daisy.laws.lung), one of Norwich's most beautiful historic parks, is open throughout the weekend. The Friends of Eaton Park meet regularly for gardening in the park and organising events.
Kett's Hill
Kett's Hill is best on the Sunday of the Norwich Community Gardens Festival - 27 April. There's not much parking in this area and the distances are larger than usual so consider visiting these places by bike. While the scenic 🌱 Kett's Heights (w3w: pure.family.summer) is open all weekend, on Sunday the Friends of Kett's Heights will be hosting a drop-in day between 10am and 2pm. And, if you'd rather access the garden step-free, head to the entrance off Ladbrooke Place. From there, head north to your next stop. Experience some of Mousehold Heath along the way, including the view over the city from Britannia Road and the car-free Gilman Road. 🌱 Mousehold Community Garden (w3w: pull.hops.successes) is a newly established community allotment. Meet the volunteers and find out their plans between 1pm and 3pm. Further out of the city, there's 🌱 "Let It Grow" at St Francis Church, Heartsease, Norwich (w3w: vine.model.flight), open throughout the weekend.
Lakenham
Lakenham is taking part in the Norwich Community Gardens Festival with plenty to do both Saturday 26 April and Sunday 27 April. On the Saturday, check out 🌱 Lion's Den (w3w: march.friend.strong) 10am to 1pm. Plant a sunflower, learn how to attract wildlife in your garden and learn a bit of local history. Further along Lakenham Way, members of Wild Lakenham will welcome you to 🌱 Cooper Lane Community Orchard (w3w: stage.leave.bronze) 10 am to 1pm. Learn how to whittle a spoon, have some refreshments and have a look around guided by volunteers. The orchard will be open on the Sunday too but Wild Lakenham members will not be there. On the Sunday, members of 🌱 The Feed's Community Garden (w3w: poppy.above.seat) will be at Jubilee Park - it's a new project so this is a good time to find out what the plans are. 🌱 The Friends of Dandy Wood (w3w: casual.ozone.dogs) will be on site to greet you from 10am to 2pm and help you explore these woods on the site of an old chalk mine with many banks, hills and hollows. There is parking here despite the Norwich City Council website saying otherwise.
