Part of Open House Festival 2023
Love Lane Community Garden is situated on Metropolitan open land on the border of Croydon and Bromley. The land, previously a playing field rented by Croydon Council from Bromley Council, was sold to a property developer in the 1980s when the Greater London Council was disbanded. Despite the best efforts of the community to maintain the land, it fell into a terrible state, became overgrown and used by fly tippers.
In 2015 a group of volunteers were able to begin clearing the land to create a community space with the consent of the owner. This is still an ongoing project, recent additions include a wild flower meadow and allotment. In 2019 the Friends of Love Lane Green were able to reach an agreement with the owner, with the help of Croydon Council to allow access to the land.
The garden has become a focal point for the community, a space where everyone is welcome. The Friends of Love Lane Green continue to improve the garden, adopting good gardening practices that do not harm but rather encourage wildlife. The green has a thriving slow worm community, toads, stag beetles, and frogs. We hope with the addition of a small nature pond we will see newts return to the green.
Local historian, John Hickman believes that the mature oak tree near the entrance of the community garden was planted as a boundary marker for Bromley and Croydon.
Things to look out for on your visit
- Mural by Elno art
- Bramble Maze and HQ
- Tree house
- Play area and hut
- Alittlements
- Nature pond
- Orchard
- Boundary Oak
- The rainbow fence painted by volunteers