The Greenhouse Project at Witton Country Park
The Greenhouse Project is run by The Lancashire Wildlife Trust as part of its pioneering Nature & Wellbeing Service.
The Greenhouse Project seeks to support people to develop skills in growing food – fruit, vegetables and wildlife friendly plants – and live more in harmony with the natural world.
As well as growing food we use / recycle local waste and natural products, produce compost, our own fertiliser and hope soon to capture our own water and generate our own electricity.
Head down to Andy's Greenhouse Diary to see what's been happening recently at Witton Park.
Unsure of where to find us in Witton Country Park? This video will show you where we are.
The what3words for the entrance is ///almost.rewarding.wool
...a place for people to enjoy peace, laughter, creativity, learning, belonging and friendship
Greenhouses at Myerscough College
In addition to getting more physically active the greenhouses are a place for people to enjoy peace, laughter, creativity, learning, belonging and friendship.
The project also works with local community groups across the borough to support them to grow food as well as discover local places of natural beauty through wildlife walks.
As well as helping out at the greenhouses people joining the project will also get the chance to participate in conservation activities, bushcraft, wildlife walks and mindfulness activities.
What's happening?
Andy's Greenhouse Diary
Andy Mather is keeping us up to date with all that's going on at The Greenhouse Project.
Check out the previous season's entries on the Andy's Greenhouse Diary blog post.
9th October 2024 - Apple day
We had a successful Apple Day talk about heritage Lancastrian Apples with a talk from local expert Phil Rainford. This has been sponsored by the Soil Association and will culminate in us planting our own heritage varieties behind the Greenhouses along the old brick wall.
26th June 2024 - Solstice celebrations
Music, laughter and company in our beautiful greenhouses
A wonderful Summer Solstice evening was enjoyed by over 80 people from across Blackburn with Darwen.
Home made food, fire and friendship was enhanced by beautiful live music both inside the Greenhouses and around the fire.
12th June 2024 - Pak Choi
Our Thursday volunteers were happy with their crops this week!
It was Pak Choi harvesting time with the Thursday drop in crew this week, who were all happy with their payment for their hard work! A big thanks to Blackburn College students for making labels for the Greenhouse Project plants too.
Donate to The Greenhouse Project
The history of the greenhouses
The greenhouses are on the site of a former kitchen garden which produced food for Witton Hall – the home of mill owners the Fielden family for whom Witton Park was a private estate. The land was bought by the council in the 1950’s and turned into a public country park for all to enjoy.
One of the Witton Greenhouses waiting to be renovated
The greenhouses were constructed by Blackburn with Darwen council in the 1970’s and were used until 2009 to grow bedding plants for the borough’s parks, gardens and public spaces. They were empty since then until March 2021 when The Greenhouse Project sought to clean them up and bring them back to life for the benefit of local people and wildlife.
The clean up operation of both the inside of the greenhouses and the outside areas has taken a lot of work from local people participating in the greenhouse project as well as other local volunteer groups such as The Green Gym without whom the amount of progress in the early days of the renovation would not have been possible.
Greenhouses at Witton Park, Blackburn
All of the greenhouse had tables with asbestos surfaces which had to be removed at significant cost. This cost was met by generous individuals donating to a crowdfunding appeal as well as Star Tissue and SUEZ waste management which then allowed growing beds to be constructed and installed.
Rows and rows of planters at The Greenhouse Project
Photo by Alex Critchley
Whats growing?
Take a look inside each of the greenhouses and learn more about the plants and community that we're growing there.
