Wantage Market Garden
Partnership
Set in the grounds of the Wantage Community Support Service, the Market Garden is a partnership between Sustainable Wantage, Style Acre and Oxfordshire County Council. We help manage the site through Sunday work parties, when we plant, water, weed, tidy, and harvest, alongside good conversation and excellent cake!
Our gardening volunteers enjoy working together, sharing skills, and taking home fruit and veg that we’ve grown. We aim to provide gardening opportunities for everyone, no matter their age or ability. If you love gardening but don’t have a garden, you want to garden but don’t know where to start, or you just want to join in gardening activities with a friendly group, do come and visit us.
Food, flowers and wildlife
The Market Garden is a tranquil and beautiful place where members of the community are able to learn how to grow fruit and vegetables in a sustainable and attractive way. We have 2 polytunnels, a greenhouse and cold frame, an orchard area, low and raised beds, and the ‘World of mint’ which shows off over 80 different varieties of this wonderful plant.
A primary objective is to increase the biodiversity of the garden. To this end we maintain a small pond, a pallet bug house, multiple bird feeders and a large area of pollinator friendly flowers. Regular visitors are hedgehogs, frogs, bats, moths, butterflies, and bees.
The Market Garden is a fantastic place just to slow down and connect with nature. It is also a great space for community activities; look out for our Spring and Autumn Open Days!
Learning and wellbeing
Style Acre and Oxfordshire County Council are providing opportunities for people with learning disabilities from across South Oxfordshire to develop new skills and enjoy gardening.
The garden is a closed site giving it a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. It has wide paths which are accessible for people with reduced mobility and it has an accessible compost toilet.
Come and visit
If you would like to visit or help out, Sustainable Wantage work parties usually meet at the garden on Sundays 2 – 4pm.
Find us behind the Wantage Community Support Services building (next to Charlton Primary School); pop in to have a look around, and check out our Facebook page for the latest news.