Improving greenspaces

The Barnwell Verge: Seeds of Hope project is a community-driven response to environmental degradation and public safety along Barnwell Road in Cambridge. Sparked by a local young person’s idea, the initiative is transforming a compacted grass verge into a thriving, biodiverse green corridor. 

Abbey People, Teasels Biodiverse Design, and Hurdy Gurdy Glass have been working with the community to improve a problem area on Barnwell Road, to help stop parking on the verge, encourage wildlife, integrate art and nature, and build relationships in the community. 

The new 500+m2 pocket garden on Rayson Way, and 250m long ‘river’ of woodland plants along Barnwell Road mirrors and run parallel to Coldham’s Brook, adding another layer of greenspace for pollinators in a densely built area. The project has greatly improved habitats for invertebrates and pollinators, captured pollution particulates, improved drainage and water cycling, improved soil formation, and safeguarded the existing trees which are currently suffering from soil compaction. 

Through the continuing maintenance activities, the project continues to support residents taking the lead in reclaiming and rewilding urban spaces to benefit people and planet. 

Seeds of Hope isn’t just about beautifying a verge; it’s about growing a culture of care for the environment that will last for generations. 

In Numbers

In 2024-26, the Barnwell Verge: Seeds of Hope project involved: 

603 new plants and trees planted 

35 sessions and workshops 

60 volunteers 

227 volunteer hours 

What plants, habitats and wildlife can you find here 

Share what you see 

Do you want to identify a plant you’ve seen on the verge, or perhaps you spotted an insect you don’t recognise? We invite you to share what you see on the iRecord project at https://irecord.org.uk/join/barnwell-verge-seeds-of-hope  

Designing the greenspace 

Designed by Teasels Biodiverse Design, Barnwell Verge: Seeds of Hope supports local wildlife and provides a place to connect with nature. The different habitats created are low maintenance and climate friendly to inspire you in your own garden or local greenspace.  

Plant elements 

Circular planters 

The plants in the raised corten steel planters were carefully chosen to give a more structured garden-like feel, contrasting the wilder planting throughout the project. Positioned at each end of the verge, they create a clear sense of beginning and end. We hope these plantings highlight that the area is actively maintained and valued, while supporting pollinators and providing a vibrant, colourful display through the spring and summer. 

Spring bulbs & wildflowers 

Thousands of spring flowering bulbs were planted in the Rayson Way pocket garden and along Barnwell Road, providing an important pollinator corridor in early spring before the trees come into leaf. We planted a mix of bulbs including alliums, tulips, muscari, narcissus, crocuses, and more. 

Shade tolerant annual and perennial wildflowers were sown below the shrubs, helping to extend a food source for insects. 

Woodland plants 

To create a typical woodland environment, under the tree canopy we planted a range of native woodland plants and shade tolerant shrubs. Plants included spindle, euphorbia, holly, cow parsley, common elder, common wayfaring tree, wild privet, cotoneaster franchetii, and yew. Some of these plants were kindly donated by Wolfson College and Jesus College. 

Sections of thornless blackberry plants were planted to create thicket-like habitats and nesting spaces for wildlife.  

Habitats & structural elements 

We worked with Mercer Trees to install the wooden structural elements along Barnwell Verge.  

Dead hedges 

Despite the strange name, dead hedges provide brilliant nesting habitats and hiding places for wildlife, and food for smaller creatures like insects. As the wood breaks down, it adds nutrients into the earth below. This creates a cycle of garden ‘waste’ within the project. These dead hedges are an ongoing activity, and will be added to during future maintenance work. You are invited to add to these hedges with your woody garden prunings too.  

Large logs 

Dead wood is fantastic for wildlife. It provides food and shelter for many invertebrates, nesting sites for solitary bees and overwintering beetles, as well as supporting lichens and moss which provide food for larger mammals and birds.  

The logs on Barnwell Verge are from trees across the city that needed to be felled, including oak, chestnut and sycamore. They will now provide habitats for wildlife in Barnwell. These habitats are crucial, especially in urban environments like this. 

Learn how to make your own dead hedge here. 

Soil bunds 

Created using surplus soil from Rayson Way, soil bunds along the beds have been sowed with wildflower and grass seeds. These mounds help retain rainwater in the beds for the plants to soak up making them a cost-effective structure for water retention whilst helping to avoid soil erosion. This soil came from creating the Rayson Way pocket garden when it was excavated, so the soil didn’t go to waste!  

Community glass artwork 

Glass artwork created by the community is integrated throughout the Rayson Way pocket garden. In workshops led by Hurdy Gurdy Glass, children at Galfrid School and the local community created the glass artwork you can find in the bee posts and engagement board panels dotted throughout the verge and garden. 

Bee posts are designed to create nesting sites for solitary bees, which are important creatures for pollination. The glass artwork embedded in the bee posts illustrate plants and their pollinators that you might find in the garden. 

Coldham’s Brook runs parallel to Barnwell Road – so included in the glass artworks are creatures that you might find in the local chalk stream. Barnwell Verge: Seeds of Hope is part of the River Cam CAN project which focuses on raising awareness of the challenges faced by the River Cam and inspires and support people to take action to help. In the art workshop series, Year 6 students at Galfrid School also created inspiring posters to encourage people to take action to the help the water challenges faced in Cambridge.  

Feeling inspired? 

Visit Barnwell Road Library to find books about gardening, habitats and more. 

Sign up to volunteer at our next greenspaces sessions on projects like Barnwell Verge.  

Our funders 

Thank you to our funders who enabled us to turn this vision into reality. 

National Lottery Climate Action Fund – River Cam CAN 

Hubbub – Nature Hubs 

Natural Cambridgeshire 

Cambridgeshire Community Foundation – Fund for Nature 

Cambridgeshire County Council – Priorities Capital Fund 

Cambridge City Council – EIP & Focus on Abbey 

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority 

Upcoming work days

We will be running a range of planting and gardening activities throughout the year in the new Rayson Way pocket garden and along Barnwell Verge. Check out our events page for more details.

Volunteers

Our volunteer work days are a great way to learn about conservation and get to know the nature in our area a bit better.