The Dunville Community Garden Project
[Ongoing]
This is a partnership between Holywood Shared Town and the Conservation Volunteers (TCV). We currently looking for volunteers to help re-establish the garden as a community resource. We have a license to use the garden from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.
If you would like to help please contact us. All ability levels catered for; currently we have a formal volunter work session each Saturday morning at 11-30am, although other times can be catered for.
Holywood Shared Town in collaboration with Holywood Men’s Shed have begun to think how the historic old Dunville garden (1880-1910) in Redburn Country Park could be “restored” by and for the community.
In early 2020, a garden design was produced and 87 people gave their input via a survey. 92% approved or strongly approved of restoring the garden and 70% agreed to keeping the vast majority of the garden in a re-wilded or semi-wild state.
The NI Environment Agency (NIEA) will be licensing the site to Holywood Shared Town.
Clearance was done by members of the community alongside The Conservation Volunteers a few years back which revealed some beautiful old features of interest. More recently NIEA have surrounded the approximately one-acre area with a fence and have just replaced the old Dunville Garden wall and beautiful railings.
Due to the existance of Japanese knotweed which requires treatment, the garden area available for redevelopment will be reduced initially.
A CEDaR survey (flora and fauna), bat survey and Ulster Archaeological Society survey have been done.
Unfortunately, like with many other great projects, Covid19 lockdown occurred just before a Big Picnic event could be held to further discuss the garden with neighbours and park users but we hope consultation work will restart soon.
To get involved as this project develops, please join the Friends of Redburn Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/220584015032976.
