Bohemia Walled Garden Association – first meeting
Doorway to Bohemias own, overgrown, walled garden
The Bohemia Walled Garden Association had its inaugural meeting on Monday 26th January 2009, at the YMCA in St. Paul’s Road. Eight people attended. “We are still very far from doing any work on site. We have been encouraged by the Estates Dept of the Hastings Council to pursue funding and prepare drawings to submit to the Planning Department. If we can achieve the goal of repairing the structure, then the Estates Dept. will allow us to use this Council-owned site for our proposed horticultural activities”.
Polytunnels
“Our immediate goals are to prepare surveyed drawings for the Highways Department, get estimates for the restoration work, and raise money for the preparatory work in submitting an application to the Planning Department. We have recently met with an officer of the Planning Dept. to understand what they require from an applicant. As well as showing the proposed polytunnels, sheds, water tanks, etc., we will need to give details of the access route”.
Path
“When the building work actually begins, a firm, wide path will be essential for the delivery of materials. Sensitivity to the environment of the wood, which has the status of “Local Nature Reserve”, will be a paramount consideration. Friends of Summerfields Wood, the Borough Ecologist, and the Park Rangers are being consulted and kept informed. With our constitution and copies of our meetings’ minutes, the BWGA can begin accepting funds. We are hopeful that local charities, organisations supporting “green” issues and local well-wishers will help lift this scheme off paper and onto firm ground. Next meeting: at the YMCA, on Mon 9th Mar at 7pm. Please come if you would like to be involved in restoring the walled garden within Summerfields Wood”.
Sue Thomson, Bohemia Walled Garden Association bwga@dynamicaudio.co.uk
COMMENT
Patricia Vincent writes (May 2009)
Dear Sir, I was disappointed there were no photos of Bohemia on your website. My ancestors lived there and today my family live in Sussex. Also to change the lovely garden (on your website) into a garden centre as a means to preserve its beauty, would definitely defeat the object, i.e. greenhouses, garden slabs, turf rolls, compost, etc, etc, etc. I am sure it could be put to better use!
Patricia Vincent, née Sellings.
I note the comments from Patricia Vincent made some 5 years ago concerning the creation of the Bohemia Walled Garden Association to bring back into use the abandoned walled garden at Summerfields. It is now five years since members of the BWGA started the clearance and now there are around 40 users of plots for horticulture including two primary schools. The websites of the Bohemia Village Voice or the Bohemia Walled Garden do record the changes over the last 5 years including a range of historic images of the use of the mansion as Summerfields School. We would welcome a visit from Patricia so she can learn more about how the Bohemia Walled Garden and Friends of Summerfields Wood members are working towards improving the Local Nature Reserve.