Friends of Meath Gardens

Our strategy 

Inspiring our community to engage with nature is at the heart of everything we do. In consultation with our volunteers and as well as with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) we have developed a landscape strategy for Meath Gardens.  This is a vision for the gardens to enrich it for biodiversity and wildlife and to make it a wonderful place for all of us in East London.  Our landscape strategy brings together 3 elements of Community, History and Nature.  We also work across the borough to spread "the green philosophy" beyond the gardens.

Meath Gardens Community

First and foremost we aim to get everyone engaged with nature.  Through our volunteering days, we mobilise our residents and people across the borough to help with planting trees, shrubs and bulbs in the gardens and to look after the gardens. Our space. The gardens are used by local schools, youth groups, fitness clubs, local children (using the play facilities), and all manner of local residents of all ages. We want to make the gardens a great place for all these groups to enjoy.  

• Creation of an Edible Playground and fruit orchard – we will plant more wild herbs, shrubs and perennials next to the Children’s play area using species commonly found in UK forests, as well as in allotments and horticultural settings. This will continue into an adjoining fruit tree orchard that will act as a connection between Meath Gardens and adjoining allotments used by a neighbouring residential estate.

• Installation of a water feature (e.g. a fountain) and artwork (that commemorates the history and nature of the gardens).

Meath Gardens History

The history of Meath Gardens is an incredibly important part of the heritage of East London.  We aim to make this more accessible to everyone.

• Protecting our last ancient poplar tree - we plan to establish a flower bed around the ancient tree (~ over 200 years old) so people to do not walk underneath it, reducing the need for pollarding which could shorten its life. 

• Restoration of the Victorian Arch, ornate columns of the Basketball Court park entrance and tombstones – the Arch is the gate to the former Victoria Park Cemetery and is Meath Gardens’ main historic feature.  It needs professional restoration. The park entrance by the Basketball Court has two old ornate Victorian columns that also need attention.  London Stone Conservation (a professional restoration contractor) will carry out the works over several years.  We also plan to restore the few remaining tombstones found in the park

• Honouring those buried in the gardens: Installation of a feature where people can come to pay their respects to those who were buried in Victoria Park Cemetery

Meath Gardens Nature and biodiversity

We aim to enrich the gardens for local wildlife and biodiversity. Besides helping to absorb air and noise pollution, this will also create a much needed reservoir for threatened and endangered wildlife.  We are also part of a wider plan to green Tower Hamlets (linking the gardens to other green spaces in London) and the London National Park City. 

• creating natural woodland, shrub corridors and wildflower meadows – We have started the process of creating natural woodland in three areas of the gardens and planting shrubs in the park to link these woodland areas with each other and with woodland in Mile End Park.  We also plan to establish wildflower meadows in three areas in the gardens.   We will install a lectern style notice board to explain the various habitats in the park (riverside habitat, forests and grassland meadows and the plants and animals found in each). This will help to educate the children’s and local residents about the diversity of wildlife found in Meath Gardens.