The Gardeners’ House in Penzance opens its doors after nine-year journey
In a moment nine years in the making, the Gardeners’ House in Penzance has opened its doors and welcomed the people of West Cornwall - the official launch took place on Saturday 21 June and the sun shone as the team welcomed friends and supporters in.
Special guests included Taryn Nixon from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Cllr Stephen Reynolds as the mayor of Penzance and member of Penzance Town Fund and Phil Budden - husband of the late Melissa Hardie Budden, the force of nature who came up with the idea to restore the dilapidated building and share it with the community.
The afternoon event was a true celebration, recognising the many people who have helped s on this journey. From those who contributed towards planning and fundraising at the inception of the project to those who have restored the building with care and thoughtfulness, this day would not have been possible without the help of so many.
The renovated building, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, was previously a stable block as well as the former home of the gardener for the sub-tropical Morrab Gardens. It will now begin its new life as a home to wellbeing workshops, green community projects and a sensory garden.
The Gardeners' House in Morrab Gardens has been brought back to life creating a welcoming and calm space to support the local community, using the natural history and the stories of the area to inspire people and support their wellbeing.
A sensory garden has been carefully created next to the building, providing a welcoming space between the Gardeners’ House and the Pengarth Day Centre next door.
The sensory garden includes art installations, inspired by workshops run by local artists Jane Darke and Andrew Tebbs. They worked with the social prescribing team, with local schools and with the residents at Pengarth Day Centre to create artwork inspired by illustrations and objects from the archive.
Local craftspeople were then commissioned to recreate these designs in stone, metal and wood that now feature in the Sensory Garden. The garden now provides a tranquil safe space where people can reconnect with nature - and also can help to enhance the lives of older people, particularly those living with dementia.
The building is also the new home for Sustainable Penzance, who work to bring together the community to protect the environment and create a more sustainable way of living, working and doing business. An extension of the work started by Plastic Free PZ, their work aligns with that of the Gardeners’ House and they will collaborate on some projects moving forward.
The project was the vision of the late Melissa Hardie-Budden, the founder of Hypatia Trust in Penzance. The Gardeners’ House became a separate and distinct organisation in 2021, registering as a CIO.
Miki Ashton, director for the Gardeners’ House said: “This has been a long journey for us and we are incredibly excited to open our doors to the people of West Cornwall. We really want to create an open and welcoming space for local people to visit, and to feel a part of.
“Our work is all about celebrating the stories and the landscape of our very special part of Cornwall. We want to continue to hear and discover the stories our community can share with us and to share our beautiful building, and its little green space, with everyone. We really hope to see the people of Penzance and beyond dropping in to find out more about us very soon.”
Taryn Nixon, Trustee of The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “Investing in heritage like The Gardeners’ House enriches our local communities so much. It creates new opportunities, makes heritage accessible, supports local economies and makes for better places to live. We’re so proud that money raised by National Lottery players’ has helped bring this inspiring project to life, preserving Cornwall’s natural heritage and creating a vibrant space for learning, wellbeing, and for people to connect with each other.”
Martin Tucker, Chairman of the Penzance Town Deal Board, said: “The opening of the Morrab Gardeners’ House marks a significant milestone for Penzance as the very first project delivered through the Town Deal programme. It represents not only an investment in our green spaces and community heritage, but a tangible step toward the regeneration and resilience of our town. We are proud to see this historic site brought back to life as a hub for learning, wellbeing, and community activity; a project rooted in collaboration and local pride. It’s just the beginning of the positive change the Town Deal will bring to Penzance.”
The Gardeners’ House, which will run as a charitable organisation, received a £2.2 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as a grant of £896,000 from the Penzance Town Deal fund to help realise their vision.
It is the first of the Penzance Town Deal funded projects to open its doors.
The building is also a home for a unique archive of documents, books and illustrations. The collection will be made accessible to the public for the first time and highlight the history of Cornwall's natural heritage.
Donated by the Hypatia Trust, the collection showcases the stories of men and women who have been custodians of the landscape of West Cornwall over the last 200 years, and their documenting of our landscape. Its new home will mean that the important collection is safeguarded and preserved in Penzance so that the community, researchers and visitors can learn and be inspired by it.
The team at the Gardeners’ House want to continue to grow this collection, creating a living archive which keeps the stories of the local community alive. Some of these stories will inspire workshops and activities hosted by the team.
The Sensory Garden was made possible by generous funding from the Tanner Phoenix Trust and the Emily Bolitho Fund, administered by Cornwall Community Fund.
Find out more about the Gardeners’ House on the website, or just drop in from Tuesday 24 June and find out what’s on offer: