The Polygon, a neighbourhood central to Southampton city, was originally designed in 1768 to rival Bath's royal crescent. History has not quite stuck to this plan, and the beautiful Victorian and Edwardian houses serve a much more modern requirement. Sadly, many of our gardens have been converted into multiple car park spaces, and the established trees removed by past administrations without the foresight of the huge ecological impact this would have. Fortunately, Rollesbrook Greenway, a site of heritage and ecological importance runs through our neighbourhood hosting a population of wildlife and nature. Two or three steps past the Wilton Avenue gateway sees you immersed in beautiful woodland, complete with running stream and bird song.
With this in mind, the Bedford Place and Polygon Residents Association believed entrance to the greenway should be a welcoming spot. Most residents did not know that the greenway existed, and those who did assumed the area was closed to passers by. The 10x3m patch of land to the side of the gate attracted constant fly-tipping, litter and two glass collection banks that did not serve their purpose. After months of discussion with representatives from Southampton City Council we were granted permission to create a community garden on the land. We also spoke with the owners of a brick bin shed to get their permission to paint on the garden side of the wall. Southampton City Council assisted in a litter pick that extended far into the greenway, collecting all manner of abandoned treasures and waste.
We were most fortunate to have the support of Jill from Wilder Southampton who met with us to discuss the site. She offered invaluable advice on how to approach the project, and gave us relevant contacts to consult and learn from. We are most proud to display the Wilder Southampton plaque in the garden.
Through sheer luck and hours scrolling on instagram, we made a connection with a new art project in the area. Local artists, under the name @Mural.23 aim to produce twenty three murals in Southampton, with the hope to make the city a more creative place. We met with the artists who enthusiastically planned their mural and created it the first sunny weekend they could. Headed up by Tom Stewart, the project was generously completed without a fee, with the artwork donated to the area. The paint was donated by the Scratch Southampton charity also.
We rounded up volunteers from the mailing list and over the course of two weekends, turned the earth, constructed a pathway out of recycled building tiles, and planted a host of native flowers, herbs and plants that would compliment those in the Rollesbrook Greenway. Southampton City Council were most supportive, offering advice and donating bark chippings for our pathway. We purchased the plants with the Community Chest fund from Mayfield Nurseries, who also generously donated our pear tree.
