About Us
Abbey Gardens is a unique open community garden on the site of a 17th Century Abbey. We're run by the community working together through the seasons, using the garden as a place to pause, to grow, to meet, to make. Building a beautiful, healthy and sustainable garden that everyone can benefit from. What will your harvest be?
Open every day from dawn till dusk with community gardening workshops weekly on Sundays 3pm-6pm between April and October.
We hope you’ll join us soon!
Our History
The Abbey Gardens site is one of only two Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Newham and contains the remains of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey where monks once ran a kitchen garden.
In 2006 a group of local residents formed Friends of Abbey Gardens with the aim of rescuing the derelict site from vandalism and neglect. The gardens were designed as part of a living art project 'what will the harvest be' founded by Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie. The result is a beautiful open-access park and harvest garden acting as a unique and valued local resource for both the local and wider communities in Newham.
The Friends of Abbey Gardens has grown into a group of about 60 volunteers, all with a variety of skills, experience and connections to contribute.
Our Mission
To offer a green space that will benefit the inhabitants of Newham and surrounding areas, improving their quality of life.
Create a space for pause, joy, reflection and healing in our urban environment.
A natural resource. A social resource. A creative resource.
A place to celebrate the community and build resilience against the challenges we face together.
Donate
To donate to the ongoing project and maintenance of the gardens you can do so through our PayPal link below
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=KQCY57TQ9UBM6