Horsham locals transform NEW Wildlife Garden at Chesworth Farm, Horsham

Chloe Harrison
, 04 November 2022
Horsham locals transform NEW Wildlife Garden at Chesworth Farm, Horsham
Tony Cook outside the wildlife garden he designed and helped build

By Tony Cook

Local Horsham resident and Conservation Volunteer

As you’ll know, the population and distribution of UK wildlife is in decline; however, gardens of all sizes have the potential to support wildlife by creating habitat, food, water, and nectar sources.

Having made my garden more wildlife friendly during 2021 (read this story here), I wanted to try and inspire other people to do the same, so I designed a wildlife garden for a small neglected plot of land at Chesworth Farm, Horsham. My proposal for the wildlife garden was accepted by the Friends of Chesworth Farm and Horsham District Council Parks and Countryside in early 2022 and we began work shortly afterward.

The area of land before Tony and local volunteers transformed the site for wildlife.

Since March this year volunteers from the Friends of Chesworth Farm and Horsham Green Gym have generously given over five hundred hours of their time to transform the plot. In addition to their time, we’ve received donations of seeds, plants, a hedgehog house, and a preformed pond liner.

The garden includes a range of features designed for insects, reptiles, and small mammals; these have been created from recycled materials wherever possible. These materials include pallets, discarded wooden benches, logs, rubble, and even a cast iron bath which we retrieved from the river Arun, which runs through the farm.

The garden includes many creative ideas, including a gabion basket hibernaculum (chambers for animals to seek refuge), and a bathtub pond!
Wildflowers, fruit trees, and pollinator-friendly plants have been included too. The garden is still evolving and we hope to add further features in the coming months. The latest addition is a rocket beehive! 

The rocket beehive!

A sign by the entrance to the garden describes the garden and further signage within the garden is planned. We hope the garden will inspire visitors to support wildlife in their own gardens, help connect children with nature and encourage family/educational visits.

We’d love you to visit the new wildlife garden to see if you could include some of these features in your garden, allotment, or community open space to attract wildlife.

The garden is now completed transformed for wildlife, and packed full of ideas for us all to take home to our own gardens.

Further advice on creating features similar to those in the garden can be found on the Wildlife Trusts’ website; www.wildlifetrusts.org/gardening

For more details about the farm please see here

If you have any questions about the garden or you are interested in volunteering with us, please contact; [email protected]

The garden is accessible for humans... and hedgehogs!

Getting to Chesworth Farm

The main entrance to Chesworth Farm is at the end of Queensway, off Brighton Road (A281). A short walk or cycle from this point along the drive will take you to the wildlife garden located here; https://w3w.co/swung.spit.oiled

Walking – The entrance to the farm is a 15-20mins walk from Horsham Railway Station or Horsham Bus Station. The Riverside Walk passes through the farm.

Cycling - Chesworth Farm is on the Pedlars Way cycle route between Horsham and Southwater, and cycle racks are located outside the entrance to the wildlife garden.

Car - Visitors to the farm can use a small parking area at the end of Queensway https://w3w.co/remind.shows.parent. The nearest alternative car park is located off Denne Road. There is limited kerbside parking along Queensway and Chesworth Lane, except between 10am-Midday, Mon-Sat. Please note that vehicles are not permitted along the drive beyond the small parking area at the end of Queensway.

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If you have a conservation story you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you and celebrate your story! Get in touch at [email protected] to find out more.

More pictures from the wildlife garden...

A bog garden.

Bug hotel.

Dead hedge.

Rock rubble pile.

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