RSPB Flatford
"A Murmuration of Starlings":
a Wildlife Garden for the Royal Society of the Protection of Birds
photos by Catherine Heatherington
This site in Flatford, Suffolk, was gifted to the RSPB in 2008. It lies adjacent to the National Trust's Flatford Mill and covers approximately 1 hectare of land sloping down to the River Stour.
Following a design competition was held in 2009, to select designers for the development of the site as a resource for the RSPB, Catherine Heatherington MSGD MA and Alex Johnson MSGD CMLI were appointed to develop their winning scheme
The design features a variety of habitats for with a broad variety of wildlife in mind, as well as features which emphasise the distinctiveness of the local landscape and building traditions.
The garden construction was undertaken by All Seasons Landscapes of Saffron Walden who were appointed in December 2010.They overcame atrocious weather to finish on time in April, to a high standard of detailing. The design includes a number of bespoke and locally distinctive elements which have been skillfully completed by All Seasons.
The garden was ready for planting by volunteers in May 2011. Excellent craftsmanship and maintenance has contributed to a garden which has matured remarkably well in its first season. It was opened to the public on 11th August 2011 by Suffolk historian and writer Ronald Blythe, who spoke movingly about nature and his boyhood memories of the Stour Valley.
