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Restoration of Springmead Garden
Brightlingsea's 'Mini-Heligan' restored
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Restoration of Springmead Garden
Location: Essex
Springmead house and garden were owned by Captain Arthur Wenlock, a much-respected resident and steam-yacht master. Upon his death in 1927 he bequeathed his house, grounds and money for the benefit of the people of his beloved Brightlingsea.
The house was put to various uses over the years but the garden received only minimal care. In 2001 the Springmead Trust approached members of Brightlingsea in Bloom and The Brightlingsea Society with the aim of restoring the garden for the benefit of townsfolk.
After much research a Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) grant from the Countryside Agency appeared to be the best route (due to the importance of the spring in the garden) and applications were submitted. In May 2002 the Springmead Trustees formally agreed to the principle of the restoration. As match-funding was required approaches were also made via our town’s ‘Community Reach’ steering group to the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) for the major grant element.
In November 2002 an LHI grant of £25,000 was awarded and in that December an EEDA grant of £49,653 was awarded; both required match-funding by in-kind volunteer labour of the equivalent of £14,500.
A small band of volunteers had already begun clearing the site and in February 2003 a very welcome call from Essex Probationary Services resulted in the arrival of much muscle power from people serving Community Service orders. The Springmead ambience and its potential to be a tranquil public garden captivated our helpers who took great pride in playing their part in the restoration and developing a feeling of camaraderie with Brightlingsea in Bloom volunteers.
The grant monies enabled work to start in earnest and after many thousands of hours’ work over 20 months by the enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers, local craftsmen and the invaluable assistance of the Community Service people, Springmead Garden was opened to the public in May 2004.
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