A River of Woodland Plants for Barnwell Road
One of the most inspiring things about the River Cam CAN partnership is seeing how local groups are taking ideas forward and shaping their own neighbourhoods. At Barnwell Road in Abbey, community charity Abbey People has turned a long-standing problem verge into a vibrant new green space — with support from the National Lottery Community Fund and Cambridgeshire County Council.
From mud to meadow
For years, the verge along Barnwell Road was muddy, unattractive and used for informal parking. Now, thanks to the Seeds of Hope project, it is being reborn as a 250-metre “river” of woodland plants, designed to echo Coldham’s Brook.
The project was co-created with local residents of all ages through workshops with artists and garden designers. The result combines wildflowers, trees, bee posts, and sculptures with stained-glass artworks made by the community itself, a garden designer Teasels Biodiverse Design Consultancy and glass artist Hurdy Gurdy Glass. The result combines wildflowers, spring flowering bulbs, climate resilient trees, woodland plants, and bee posts with integrated stained-glass artworks made by the community. Together, they will bring colour, wildlife, and creativity to one of Cambridge’s busiest roads
A garden at the heart of Abbey
At nearby Rayson Way, the project is also creating a new 500m² community pocket garden providing space for local people to enjoy nature. It will not only improve biodiversity but also help tackle isolation, encourage walking and cycling, and give local people pride in their surroundings
As one young resident explained:
“I was tired of seeing mud and puddles along the main road in our community, so I wanted to make a change.”
That spirit of change lies at the heart of the River Cam CAN vision — supporting communities to take local action to tackle and improve nature and benefit our climate.
Sculptures and structures are in place, and bulb planting is next. Biodiversity surveys will track the ecological benefits, while local people are already experiencing the social ones.
“This investment has enabled the development of a valuable new community green space and the creation of enhanced wildlife habitats.”
— Nicky Shepherd, CEO of Abbey People
Cllr Alison Whelan, Chair of the County Council’s Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee, added:
“It’s wonderful to see the creative and beautiful way Abbey People are working to increase nature in this urban public space.”
One of many outcomes
The transformation of Barnwell Road verge is just one of the ways the River Cam CAN (Climate Action through Nature) Project is supporting communities near the river to deliver initiatives that benefit them and the environment.
The 2.5-year project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and is led by Cambridge Past, Present & Future working in partnership with Abbey People, Cambridge City Council, CoFarm, Water Sensitive Cambridge and Climate Outreach.
The Barnwell Verge: Seeds of Hope project so far has involved:
- 603 new plants and trees planted
- 31 sessions and workshops
- 34 volunteers helping with planting and biodiversity surveys
- 73 instances of volunteers
- 139.8 volunteer hours
“It’s been a real joy to be involved with this project over the past few years. It has been a true collaboration with the team.
Personally, I’ve never worked with a group so committed to delivering a project with such love and care. Every member of the team has been a pleasure to work with—each one a great listener, and in turn, genuinely listened to. We’ve each brought our own unique skill sets, and have been trusted to use our knowledge to deliver maximum value to the project.
I believe we’ve produced two projects that not only provide meaningful amenity for the residents of Abbey Ward, but also offer a real boost for local biodiversity.”
Daniel Lee, Teasels Biodiverse Design Consultancy
You can get involved in the seasonal planting and maintenance activities on Barnwell Verge, including spring bulb planting sessions on 8th Oct & 29th Oct. Find out more at https://abbeypeople.org.uk/barnwell-verge
