In late 2018, Octopus Community Network’s Urban Growing team took over a derelict sports pitch on the Tufnell Park Estate. With the help of local people, they transformed it into a community growing space, seeking practical solutions to address climate change and benefit the community.
The site is home to the Octopus Learning Hub, where a community of growers nurture locally grown food from plant to plate, connecting people to the food they eat. Growing food locally, reducing food waste, managing soil and water run-off, improving biodiversity and turning unused land into growing space is good for our communities and good for the planet.
Through mapping potential and existing growing spaces, upskilling and supporting local groups, and providing a platform for residents to meet and share what they know, the team hopes that this will be a starting point for local people to develop new growing spaces.
Community Development Officer: Fran Smith
Visitor Information
Open
Saturday 10:00–16:00
Activities
Plant sale and refreshments (drinks only) - donation requested. Seed sowing and potting on activities available.
Entrance
Tufnell Park Estate, Behind Hollins and McCall Houses Nearest postcode: N7 0PH
Community garden located on a former railway embankment. Features include a lawn, herbaceous borders, extensive woodland, an orchard, wildflower meadow, a wildlife pond, fruit and vegetable growing, and a greenhouse.
The nature gardens were set up at the beginning of the 2020 pandemic on semi-derelict locked spaces on the Highbury Quadrant Estate, with the aim of establishing three new thriving community gardens; the Meadow, the Woodland Garden and the Orchard.
