September was a busy month for the Friends Group preparing for a presentation to the owners of Granton Castle’s historic garden. We had a small gathering and press-release of the Friends Group plans on the 5th of October. Nourish Scotland tweet
Ideas proposed by local people to restore the B-listed walled garden were opened for discussion earlier this year, Survey Monkey Questionnaire. The results were really positive and comments constructive, so we began the design process with help from a local landscape architect taking on board everyone’s suggestions. We hope this could be the start of something very special; community management of a heritage asset to benefit people, the environment and the local economy. Living Landscapes
Our Friends Group has had great support and encouragement from owners EDI Group ltd and architects 7N in drawing together community ideas for the walled garden which could be incorporated into the new Masterplan for Granton’s shoreline. We hope to cherish and tend to this historic garden, sheltered, fertile and ideally suited to growing the best of old and new varieties in Scotland’s sometimes harsh climate.
The community plans (pictured below) were presented on the 5th of October to EDI’s senior management team: as an alternative to housing within Granton’s secret garden.
Ways to join in this autumn.
- Community Gardens. Although the walled garden is still closed there are some great community growing initiatives in North Edinburgh, with regular drop-in gardening days. Granton Community Gardeners and Pilton Community Gardeners.
- Scotland’s Urban Past: 29th November, 1pm-4ish. A field archaeology training day with expert tuition from Historic Environment Scotland staff. Mapping the historic footprint of Granton’s Lost Castle, are there any traces?
Please get in touch if you would like to attend this training event, it is free but numbers are limited to 20. Last autumn we learned loads from the archaeologists about the ancient walls themselves, piecing together stories, historic maps and images. Any findings on the walled garden will be added to the digital National Record being compiled by HES. Granton Castle Record
The Friends Group has had an offer of funding to help make the garden accessible again, with improvements to the footpath and cycletrack leading to the shore at Royston Beach. We wait eagerly to hear from the owners following our meeting on the 5th October. Will post news soon if an agreement can be reached, and when people can visit the garden!
Our next Friends Group meeting will be at the beginning of November when we hope to have news from the owners of the garden about its future. Please get in touch for more details if you would like to attend and haven’t before.
e-mail : grantoncastlegardengroup@gmail.com
Friends Group Plans for the walled garden will be displayed for comment in the Community Shop, 57 Pennywell Road, EH4 4TY from the start of November. Please let us know what you think of the ideas, or add more!