The biggest investment in Marble Hill Park in a generation is underway.

And all park users are set to benefit, including sports teams, dog walkers, families visiting the revived café or new children's play area, people with disabilities and visitors coming for an inspiring programme of community events.

"We want to make sure all groups feel at home at Marble Hill," said audience development manager Rachel Morrison.

As we reported, in the £6 million Marble Hill Revived project, four woodland areas have been cleared and are now being landscaped and replanted.

The next stage will see the sports block upgraded so there are proper changing areas that women and men can use. Sports pitches will also be improved with better sub soil, drainage and a stronger species of grass.

"People play rugby, football, tennis and cricket in Marble Hill Park and demand for these sports is shooting up," said Maureen Coyle, property manager of Marble Hill House.

By Spring, and depending on Covid-19 restrictions, the cafe housed in the stable block will be ready to reopen. The cafe has been run by different managers over the years, but now one big change is that the catering will be brought in-house, with English Heritage in charge. "We are recruiting a chef and a catering manager," said Maureen. "Bringing it in-house means we can use produce from the kitchen garden in the park."

Beautiful planting

There will be a new outdoor seating area and beautiful new planting for cafe visitors to enjoy.

Volunteer gardener Andy Oakley said: "I'm a keen gardener, but my garden is tropical, with banana plants and tree ferns.

"The planting we're planning here is so different, like Henrietta Howard's 'sweet walk' that we are restoring, with hollyhocks, daisies and foxgloves."

He added: "I just can't wait to see bits as they open up. The area by the cafe is going to be fantastic."

Opposite the cafe, and next to the existing fenced-off area for children, there will be a new play area, with low-level play equipment made from natural materials.

Volunteers have played a hugely important role in Marble Hill Revived. "Garden volunteers have carried out landscaping in support of our head gardener and work in the kitchen garden, which creates all the produce for the Marble Hill veg shop and will support the cafe," said Maureen.

Rachel added: "The events and admin volunteers have supported us through projects like the moving meadow week where we gave out 400 bags of wildflower meadow seed. The research volunteers supported Marble Hill Remembers which explored wartime Marble Hill, when the park acted as an air raid shelter and allotments helped feed the community."

Community events and lectures

Visitors to the park last summer will remember Arts in the Park, the programme of free music and theatre that lit up the lawn in front of the house and the reusable poppies which made a stunning Remembrance Day display. The team behind Marble Hill Revived are determined that the park should continue to host community activities, such as mindfulness, yoga and many other events.

"Involving local people and bringing the community together is so important," said Rachel. An extensive programme of events and lecture series aim to inform people about the house and park and build community bonds.

Rachel described just some of the plans: "We will have more Arts in the Park events, another Autumn lecture series, and we'll be creating sports hub days ranging from football tournaments to a community personal training session. We hope to offer a series of educational conservation in action events and on-site archaeology days.

"This is such an exciting opportunity for our community."

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