Items of INTEREST IN SUMMERIELDS WOODS
Bohemia Walled Garden Association
View of the Bohemia Estate from the side of Bohemia House.
The Walled Garden at Bohemia was built in the mid 19th century as part of improvements to the Brisco Estate at a time when the gardens were laid out and the Roman Bath constructed.
During the 20th Century the estate was used by the Summerfields School from Oxford and it served as a public school for many famous boys up to the mid 1960s. Over the last ten years the site has been abandoned and allowed to become increasingly overgrown and derelict.
In 2008 the Bohemia Walled Garden Association (BWGA) was formed where membership of the association is free. The BWGA aims to arrest the dereliction and instigate replacement walls in areas where they have become damaged or lost over the years At the same time it aims create a new horticultural use for the community.
With active volunteer members much of the bramble and weeds covering the site have been removed during 2010 and a local primary school is now using the site bringing children to tend their plants.
Alongside the horticultural uses the cultural and arts opportunities afforded by the enclosed space in a Local Nature Reserve is recognised and the BWGA proposes to work with other organisations in order to deliver a destination within the wood that can accommodate the occasion arts event, film show.
The major project of replacing the fallen wall in the south east corner of the garden is still in need of funding. In November 2010 we failed to receive funding from the Peoples Millions BIG Lottery and it is now necessary to explore other organisations who might consider funding a replacement wall.
During the 20th Century the estate was used by the Summerfields School from Oxford and it served as a public school for many famous boys up to the mid 1960s. Over the last ten years the site has been abandoned and allowed to become increasingly overgrown and derelict.
In 2008 the Bohemia Walled Garden Association (BWGA) was formed where membership of the association is free. The BWGA aims to arrest the dereliction and instigate replacement walls in areas where they have become damaged or lost over the years At the same time it aims create a new horticultural use for the community.
With active volunteer members much of the bramble and weeds covering the site have been removed during 2010 and a local primary school is now using the site bringing children to tend their plants.
Alongside the horticultural uses the cultural and arts opportunities afforded by the enclosed space in a Local Nature Reserve is recognised and the BWGA proposes to work with other organisations in order to deliver a destination within the wood that can accommodate the occasion arts event, film show.
The major project of replacing the fallen wall in the south east corner of the garden is still in need of funding. In November 2010 we failed to receive funding from the Peoples Millions BIG Lottery and it is now necessary to explore other organisations who might consider funding a replacement wall.
