Charlotte from Bankside Open Spaces Trust stands to the left wearing a pink and white blouse with a light pink pashmina, to the right is garden designer Ann Marie Powell in a bright rainbow dress, colourful scarf and denim jacket. Ann Marie has her a — BOST CEO Charlotte Gilsenan and garden designer Ann-Marie Powell at the National Trust Octavia Hill garden Chelsea Flower Show 2024.

Our CEO Charlotte Gilsenan visited Ann-Marie Powell - FSGD's Octavia Hill garden for the National Trust at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Reviewing the space, Charlotte said, "A wonderful exploring garden. Beautiful seating, planting, pond and shading using sustainable materials. Reminiscent of our Red Cross Garden"

This garden honours Octavia Hill, who campaigned for better housing and access to green spaces for the Victorian urban poor and as such is designed for a brownfield site, like many of the urban community gardens Bankside Open Spaces Trust manages and supports.

Octavia Hill founded our Red Cross Garden in 1886. From protecting and creating this small green space, she went on to co-found the National Trust, protecting thousands of spaces and historic properties for people of all backgrounds to enjoy for years to come.

Red Cross Garden was well loved and used in the late Victorian period until the 1940s when it fell into disrepair and was buried under municipal concrete. In 2005, we restored Red Cross Garden to Octavia Hill's original 1886 and our work in green spaces and in the community is inspired by her legacy.

Octavia Hill's Legacy: A Garden for the People

Octavia Hill (1838-1912) was a pioneering social reformer known for her work in housing, environmental preservation, and social work. She is best known for her efforts in improving housing conditions for the poor and for being one of the co-founders of the National Trust.

A testament to Octavia Hill’s visionary work

Red Cross Garden and its neighbouring cluster of charming cottages are a testament to Octavia Hill’s visionary work. The garden and cottages were part of her very first housing scheme, reflecting her unwavering belief in the importance of providing high-quality living conditions for poor workers.

Octavia Hill understood that decent housing was essential for people’s wellbeing. But she didn’t stop at just putting roofs over heads; she also recognised the need for green, open spaces in crowded urban areas and worked tirelessly to protect open spaces as cities grew.

An open-air sitting room

Miss Hill imagined Red Cross Garden as "an open-air sitting room for the tired inhabitants of Southwark," offering a peaceful refuge from the hustle and bustle.

The garden still serves that very purpose today. It remains a welcoming space where residents, local workers and visitors can relax, recharge, and connect with nature.

Red Cross Garden for the community

Bankside Open Spaces Trust encourages people to enjoy this space, and other gardens we care for, by hosting free community events and activities – including our annual Bankside Open Spaces Festival. We also share this garden with our neighbours by offering it as a place for birthday parties, meetings and other gatherings too.

Red Cross Garden stands not only as a historical landmark but also as a living, breathing reminder of Hill's enduring legacy in social reform and urban planning.

We're delighted to see Octavia Hill's work and legacy championed by the National Trust's garden - and to share our Red Cross Garden with those who are inspired to find out more. Red Cross beautifully illustrates this Financial Times piece, take a look here: https://lnkd.in/eYdZRjGH

Find out more about Octavia Hill

Octavia Hill’s Birthplace House is the perfect place to discover the remarkable story of Octavia Hill’s life’s work and her influence on many spheres of modern life. Visit the website here.