Explore Our Glorious Gardens

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Visitors invited for Open Garden Squares Weekend

There is a rare chance to explore Fulham Palace Meadows Allotments this Saturday, June 13, when they are opened to visitors as part of Open Garden Squares Weekend.

The site, run by the Fulham Palace Meadows Allotments Association (FPMAA) contains 406 plots gardened by a cross-section of local residents from all walks of life.

The allotments are now almost 100 years old, as the site was a gift from the Bishop of London in 1916. It is exceptional in that it covers an Anglo-Saxon site of historical importance and so is protected from development.

The gates will be open from 12.30pm till 3.30pm, with the entrance at the edge of Fulham Palace.

Other local gardens which can be visited during Open Garden Squares Weekend are the 13 acres of lawns and gardens around Fulham Palace, also open on Saturday, from 11am till 2pm, with garden tours and refreshments on offer.

Maggie's London Cancer Caring Centre, in the grounds of Charing Cross Hospital in Fulham Palace Road,  is open both Saturday and Sunday from 10am till 5pm. This centre, opened in April 2008, was designed by eminent architect Lord Rogers, while the garden was designed by Dan Pearson.

Maggie's London Centre, the first of its kind in England, was recently awarded the title London Project of the Year by RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects and was visited in spring by America's First Lady, Michelle Obama.

The centre says there will be guided tours of the building and the garden on request, and guests will be welcome to relax and enjoy the space in their own time. There will be opportunies to purchase Maggie's merchandise and support the charity’s fundraising, and food stalls will be available throughout the weekend.

June 9, 2009