Chumleigh Gardens, Burgess Park

The Islamic Garden at Chumleigh - 8 July 2017

Here is a garden that seems so little known, that on a sunny afternoon there was hardly anyone there, while the surrounding Burgess Park was bustling with people. I didn't remember how Chumleigh had found its way on my list of London gardens to visit; this feels as obscure now as the garden itself.

I came here after visiting the Lavender Garden in Vauxhall Park, via Myatt's Fields Park, and a good stroll through Burgess Park; I felt hot and exhausted. The only thing I remembered from reading about Chumleigh was a picture of a water feature with pretty tiles and a palm tree - shown in the above photo - a promise of a calm coolness. Before I found this, I melted away in the hot summer colours of the English Garden.


The English Garden at Chumleigh - 8 July 2017


The English Garden at Chumleigh - 8 July 2017


The English Garden at Chumleigh - 8 July 2017

I hadn't expected such a well laid out and planted flower garden here. The English Garden looked like it could have been part of some country estate. The pretty buildings surrounding it probably contributed to this though.

They are 19th century almshouses, built by the Friendly Female Society. They now host a cafe and nursery. The multi-cultural garden around them was created 1995 and is designed to reflect the area's diversity. As well as the English Garden, there are an Oriental, an African and Caribbean, an Islamic, and a Mediterranean Garden, which are sat behind the almshouse buildings and are even more secluded and tranquil.


The Mediterranean Garden at Chumleigh - 8 July 2017


The Mediterranean Garden at Chumleigh - 8 July 2017