Designed in 1768, Southampton’s Polygon neighbourhood was planned to compete with Bath’s royal crescent. Sadly, only a hotel and three houses were built and over the last few decades, the area has progressively lost its green spaces to make way for modern developments, notably car parks. Gardens were removed and established trees were felled.

However, one piece of green survived: Rollesbrook Greenway. Deemed as a site of heritage and ecological importance, it runs through the Polygon neighbourhood and attracts a population of wildlife and nature. Take a couple of steps off Wilton Avenue and you’ll be met with woodland, a running stream and bird song. But the entrance was not made clear. Most residents were not aware of the Greenway or assumed it was not open to the public. Constant fly-tipping and littering in the area next to the gate didn’t help.

Local people from the Bedford Place and Polygon Residents Association (BePoRA) wanted to make the entrance more welcoming and make the community aware that nature and wildlife were just on their doorstep. The Association spent months discussing their ideas with Southampton City Council before being granted permission to create a community garden. The group also asked permission from the owners of a brick bin shed to paint on the garden side of the wall. The Council also assisted them with a litter pick of the entrance and the surrounding Greenway.

Jill from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust offered the group advice on how to approach the project and passed on useful contacts to support them.

The group also connected with a local art project in the area called Mural 23. The group of artists aim to produce 23 murals across Southampton to make the city a more creatively vibrant place. The artists planned and created the work without a fee and the paint was donated by the Scratch Southampton charity.

Next, they rounded up volunteers from their mailing list and over two weekends, built a pathway from recycled building tiles and planted native flowers, plants and herbs. The group looked at what was growing in the Rollesbrook Greenway to inform what they planted in the welcome area.

Additional support came from Southampton City Council who donated bark chippings and the Community Chest Fund which helped the group purchase plants from Mayfield Nurseries. The bursary also donated a pear tree. The garden has gone down a storm with local people BePoRA have been inundated with positive feedback on social media and via email. Those who come to volunteer on the garden have met new neighbours and are excited to get involved, offer advice or even thank us for this transformation.

One resident who is involved in the project said: "I grew up in  a different part of Southampton then moved away. In other places I lived, there seemed to be community groups looking after green places,  so when I returned to the city, to the Polygon area, I joined the residents' association. I wanted to get to know people, but I also wanted to work to make the area a nicer place to live." 

One member of the group said: “Although small, we hope the garden will continue to be a hub for our community, promoting nature and local wildlife, and bringing their importance to the forefront of people's minds when walking to and from their homes. We have future plans to create more family events with the garden and Rollesbrook Greenway, including nature trails, bat sonar events and celebrations.”