Sacrewell Mill

I am a designer!well of sorts anyway. I am currently undertaking a fabulous project with Sacrewell Mill, near Peterborough on a restoration of the Mill and gardens. I have had the amazing fortune to be designing the raised beds ensuring that the garden will accessible to all, able bodied and those with disabilities alike.

A lottery heritage fund was granted for the project and finally after months of painstaking rebuilding and restoring the Mill re opened on 19th July this year (2015)

So far only two raised beds are up and running but there are more to come. The second batch of beds will be far more suitable to wheelchair users. the current ones are going to be great for children, and people whose disabilities require a raised area, such as those with eye sight problems, arthritis and that sort of thing, no bending required here. It has been hard to try and make sure this garden will actually be fully accessible to all but I have loved every minute so far and can't wait to meet with the carpenters at the local college to start on the second raised beds.

There is also going to be a fabulous Heritage Orchard and a sensory garden that I hope to be part of too.

I got quite the surprise I can tell you when out of the blue I received a Facebook message from the lovely Jane Harrison (project manager) to say that I had been recommended to her! me?? really? I really was chuffed. After out first meeting it was clear we would get on like a house on fire, we never stopped giggling especially when I happened to mention that I adore penguins and was about to go to Birmingham sea life to feed them for my birthday. We both broke into a Brummy accent and now believe all penguins speak with a Birmingham accent :):) What a right pair we are.

On the day the private party arrived to show off the results so far I spent most of the time blushing. It sounded very strange to hear myself being introduced as "the designer" I soon got used to it though. It was a wonderful party with THE best hog roast I have ever tasted!

There is much much more to come on this project and I really can't wait to see the next beds, but for now here are a few photos of the project so far, they even have their own beehive high up on a chimney stack!