Berkshire
Gardens Trust
Reg.Charity No.1201501
News
Caversham Court Receives a Gold Accolade
Caversham Court has received a gold accolade for its beautiful grounds and a national certificate of distinction from the RHS, for the ‘Best Park 2022’ within Berks, Bucks and Oxon.
The judges, who visited Reading in July, offered high praise for Caversham Court. They said of the park: “It is packed with history, from the specimen trees to the beautifully restored gazebo. Despite its size, it provides for a wide range of visitors …….It is an excellent example of a green space with a high standard of horticultural and arboricultural management and maintenance.
“A high standard of horticultural input is clearly visible and enjoyed by the public, this is achieved by the dedication of the Head Gardener on site who takes a personal role in maintaining a high standard of excellence.”
They also praised the community allotments ‘provides a valuable resource for wellbeing’ and The ‘vibrant Friends Group’ that ‘provides a wealth of historical knowledge to the local community and it's organised walks throughout the year.’
THE BICYCLE BOYS - part of the 'Unforgettable Gardens' Campaign
Sam Brewster with bikes taken by Loyal Johnson, 18 August 1928.
Credit: RHS Lindley Collections
8 June 2022 Update: The Bicycle Boys: An Unforgettable Garden Tour exhibition has launched today.
Click here to see it: https://www.rhs.org.uk/digital-collections/the-bicycle-boys
Over the summer we will be sharing Loyal and Sam’s journey across our social media accounts so please do follow @TheGardensTrust and @RHSLibraries on Twitter and Instagram. You can also search for the hashtags #UnforgettableGardens and #BicycleBoys to see what community cycling groups across the country are doing to celebrate our exhibition!
April 2022: The Berkshire Gardens Trust is delighted to be taking part in ‘The Bicycle Boys’, an exciting collaboration between the Gardens Trust and the RHS.
In 1928, two young Americans embarked on an epic journey to explore Britain’s best gardens by bike. In just 3 months, Loyal Johnson and his friend Sam Brewster cycled more than 1500 miles and visited over 80 gardens across the UK. They left behind a wonderfully detailed travel journal, which Loyal’s son donated to the RHS Lindley Library in 2015. Loyal’s diary provides a fascinating snapshot of British culture and British gardens in the 1920s.
We are one of 14 County Gardens Trusts across the UK to have been following in the footsteps (or cycle tracks) of Loyal and Sam. Folly Farm, a Berkshire gem, is one of the many gardens that Loyal and Sam visited over the summer of 1928, and it will feature alongside those of other County Gardens Trusts in a new online exhibition: ‘The Bicycle Boys: An Unforgettable Garden Tour’, which will launch on the RHS Libraries website on 8 June 2022. More information here.
The project forms part of the Gardens Trust’s Unforgettable Gardens campaign to raise awareness of the value of local parks and gardens and the importance of protecting them for our future.
GREEN HERITAGE SITE AWARDS 2021
Many congratulations to Reading Borough Council and to the Friends of Caversham Court for their success in receiving this prestigious award.
Two of Reading’s most popular open spaces, Forbury Gardens and Caversham Court Gardens, have once again been recognised as among the best in the country after receiving Green Flag and Green Heritage Site awards.
Whereas the Green Flag Award recognises high-quality maintenance and excellent wildlife-and climate-friendly practices, the Green Heritage Site award is awarded for parks which have conserved their historical features to a high standard and maintain their historic character and appearance.
The Green Flag Award scheme is managed by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy to recognise and reward well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world
Forbury Gardens
Caversham Court
