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GARDEN venue details
Forest Farm Allotments
end of Hazelbrouck Gardens
Hainault, London IG6 2XL
Transport links and directions
Hainault station (Central line) is approx. 0.4 miles or 8-10 minutes walk. Turn left out of the station then take the first left into Hazelbrouck Gardens, and walk to the end of the road to the double-gates.
Local buses 150 and 167 stop on New North Road, approx. 0.3 miles or 5 minutes walk.
Free parking is available in the allotment carpark.
OFFICE address
FFPG, 2nd Floor Ilford Chambers,
11 Chapel Road, Ilford, IG1 2DR
Access information for the Garden
Forest Farm Peace Garden is a large two acre garden situated within the Forest Farm Allotments site managed by Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure. Our garden has cultivated areas, social areas, areas for wildlife and a range of pathways of different grades. We are currently working to improve access to the allotment site for visitors with disabilities and those with additional access needs. Please find some information below and don’t hesitate to contact us for any further questions about access. We look forward to welcoming you to the garden and hope that your visit will be enjoyable.
Transport links
Hainault station has a lift up to the platform and a manual boarding ramp to access trains from the platform.
Entrance and drop off
The allotments are accessed through iron gates at the end of Hazelbrouck Gardens. A large drop off area outside the main gate is available for vehicles. A pedestrian gate is kept open during FFPG opening times. The vehicle access gate is kept locked, so please arrange in advance if you need to drive through to the carpark, or if you need step free access (there is a small step (5-10cm) through the pedestrian gate).
There is a short distance (approx. 50m) from the main gate to the carpark on a tarmac road. From the carpark there is then a short distance of 150m to the FFPG garden along a grass track.
Parking
Ample parking spaces are available in the car park which is free to use.
Toilets
The toilet blocks are a short distance of approx. 150m from the FFPG garden. An all-gender wheelchair accessible toilet is situated next to the carpark with an access ramp. The male and female toilet blocks next to the carpark have three steps to access.
There is no Changing Places toilet available. The nearest Changing Places toilets are:
Exchange Ilford, High Road, Ilford IG1 1RS
Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, Althome Way, Dagenham RM10 7AY
Pathways
All pathways are flat and the garden is step-free. The main pathway to the FFPG garden from the carpark is currently a grass track and only suitable for sturdy power-driven wheelchairs. The pathways in the main garden are woodchip or grass. We are working on ways to upgrade pathways and are seeking funding to improve surfaces for wheel-chair users in collaboration with Vision RCL.
Facilities in the garden
The garden has numerous wooden benches with armrests and some picnic tables that can be accessed with a wheel-chair. There is a polytunnel with a wide central area for moving about and central tables. The floor surface is loose wood-chip. There are limited undercover shelters around the garden. The main planting beds are at ground level and there are some raised planting beds at approximately 1m height. We are planning to install more raised beds. Unfortunately the pathways to these beds are not currently suitable for wheelchair access and we are seeking funding to upgrade pathways in the garden.
Activities in the garden
Those volunteering in the garden can participate in a range of activities designed for different levels of ability and access. Please speak to a member of staff about your needs. We can provide specific tools as needed for volunteers who need them.
Support for additional needs
We run an ecotherapy programme to support people experiencing mental health needs. If you have a mild learning disability or autism you are able to access this service. Sessions are run by two staff with support from buddy volunteers who assist people with gardening tasks. Volunteers mainly work together in small groups. Unfortunately we are not able to provide one to one support. If your support needs are greater, then you are able to attend with a support worker or family member/friend.
Deaf or hard of hearing
As our space is outdoors, there is no electricity on the main site, so we do not have a hearing enhancement system. There is a white board and pens available to aid communication and we are working to improve signage around the site.
Visual impairment
Please speak to a member of staff before your visit about access if you have a visual impairment. As our site is a working garden with a lot of activities going on, it may not be suitable for someone with a visual impairment who does not have assistance.
Dementia
The layout of the garden is a network of interconnected looped paths and also some dead ends. There are some way-finding signs to and around the garden. Other parts of the sites and other paths are not currently signposted.