152a Victoria Rise

About 152a Victoria Rise

July 2024 will mark this garden’s 8th year since Benn began its transformation from an unloved, rubbish-strewn and steeply sloping site to the place of restorative calm it has become.

Including the courtyard, the garden measures 21 metres in length and 8 metres wide making it large for a London plot. As it continues to mature, each of the garden’s five terraced levels have an increasingly distinct feel.

From the shady, lush greens of the courtyard and dining space on the lowest level, you ascend a set of simple concrete steps emerging into the main level of the garden. Filled with frothy, bee-friendly plants, shrubs, grasses and fruit trees this level is inspired by the hedgerows on the farm where Benn grew up in the north of England.

Reclaimed brick steps connect the main level to two productive levels where the greenhouse and raised vegetable beds are situated.

Tucked away beyond the log wall at the highest point of the plot is the smallest and most secluded area of the garden. A copper beech hedge conceals a cozy arbour seat and fire pit from the surrounding neighbours. This is the perfect hideaway destination to the journey through the plot.

Overall, the space is designed to find a balance between a pleasing aesthetic while being a welcoming space for wildlife. As the garden matures, bees have descended en masse and many of the solitary and bumble bee species have taken up residence in the large log retaining wall along with a colony of stag beetles. The addition of the corten steel pond has increased the number and variety of birds which frequent the garden and also attracts electric-blue and scarlet-red dragonflies. Bats too are often seen swooping in during twilight hours to get their fill of the insects the garden attracts. Not bad for zone 2 London.

Please note that because of the number of steps to access the terraces, we cannot allow child buggies or strollers in the garden.
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