Chorlton Community Garden
Chorlton Community Garden is a small and much-loved green space on Manchester Road, tucked between Chorlton Library and the Sedge Lynn. Once a public toilet, the site has been transformed into a community garden.
Cared for by a group of local volunteers, under the wing of Chorlton Civic Society, the garden is a welcoming, biodiverse space that brings people together, supports wildlife, and offers opportunities for growing, creativity and learning.
We warmly welcome anyone who can offer time, skills or expertise, whether occasionally or more regularly. To get involved, email Carolyn at secretary@chorltoncivicsociety.org with any offers. To join our volunteer sessions usually on the first Tuesday of the month 10-12pm or third Saturday of the month (coinciding with the Makers' Market) 2-4pm, please contact Carol at carol@brown.pm. The programme is mainly active spring to autumn.
Scroll down to see upcoming activities!
Upcoming workshops:
Find out more about and apply for a place on the Gardening for Wellbeing: Creative with Nature Workshops at Chorlton Community Garden running September to December 2026 with Sow the City.
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Latest developments
Volunteers are always busy enhancing the garden. Here's what we've created during spring 2026. Check out photos on our @chorltongreenhub instagram
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a small wildlife pond in the raised bed forest garden
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a unique insect eco-retreat with not only a green roof but also a water butt
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a Mediterranean herb garden, designed by horticulturalist Liz Cole
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a HotBin composting system reached by stepping stones left over from paving
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a bench added to the apple tree and wild flower planter
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a newly planted dye garden for experiments in natural dying and printing with Jo Capstick from Common Cloth
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a full-flowering garden with bee-friendly annual and perennial pollinating plants, hanging baskets and new planters in front of the performance shelter with colourful bedding plants.
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A big thank you to Britain in Bloom for their annual bedding plant donations also brightening up the row of planters outside the library, also tended by our volunteers.
🌿 What’s coming up in Chorlton Community Garden
November 2026
📅 Tuesday 3 November 10am–12pm: Varied volunteer session. All welcome.
December 2026
📅 Saturday 19 December – 12pm–2pm: Festive celebration includng carols from the Mad Donnas and unveiling of Jolene Sheehan's Winter Panel sculpture. And it's the lovely Chorlton Makers' Market from 10-4pm!
Please check with volunteer organiser Carol at carol@brown.pm about any sessions.
Learn more about the history of the community garden in the video featuring our song written by Carolyn Kagan and Peter Topping and some help from AI a 'little oasis twixt library and pub', Green Chorlton's Hub.
🌱 What we’ve achieved
Over the last couple of years, the Friends of Chorlton Community Garden steering group has made major progress in restoring and improving the garden. This has been made possible through planning permission from Manchester City Council, funding from National Lottery Awards for All, Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Investment Fund, the Co-op, Chorlton Makers’ Market, and the Ralph Brocklehurst Fund.
Highlights include:
🌿 A green roof installed and planted on the storage shed, boosting biodiversity
🪨 Heritage York stone paving creating a more accessible, less muddy courtyard-style space
🌸 Flower beds and spring bulbs planted, including around Chorlton Library, the start of a dye garden, an edible forest garden
🌳 Raised beds rebuilt, including an edible forest garden with integrated seating
🎶 A sheltered performance space to host small events, performances and community gatherings as well as for displaying artworks
🍽️ A wheelchair-accessible picnic table, generously funded by the Makers’ Market, now available for visitors
🪴A new gate opening wide for wheelchairs and double buggies, with a friendly welcome sign on top
🌿An insect eco-retreat with a green roof and a water butt
🌱Seed swap library
🎨Hosting creative with nature wellbeing workshops
We’ve delivered a range of community projects, including Space to Grow (supporting first-time veg growers), a mushroom-growing workshop, and a flax-processing session among others.
In October 2025 we celebrated the reopening of the garden with a launch event featuring a poem from the Lord Mayor, a performance of our song “A little oasis ’twixt library and pub” by The Mad Donnas, and tastings of apple-based produce from the garden.
We were proud to receive a Britain in Bloom ‘Advancing’ award, with judges commenting: “So very well done to all of you, for getting this far and having high aspirations.”
Together, we’ve now raised over £40,000 to support restoration work and community activity.
🎨 Creativity & community
The garden has hosted and run a number of creative projects over the years. Find out more about past events and plans for the future with our Art in the Garden programme.
Edible forest gardening
Find out more about our thriving mini edible forest garden, a system for growing annual fruit and veg in layers with its own varied ecosystem.
Volunteers have raised funds to carry out the refurbishment and plant up the garden. We are grateful to our funders including the Lottery, Manchester City Council, the Ralph Brocklehurst Fund and the Co-op. We welcome all donations, however small (or large!) to help with running events, looking after and planting up the garden. Please donate using Paypal (via Chorlton Civic Society wholook after our funds).
Many thanks!
Get involved in different aspects of caring for the community garden
Visit the garden
Manchester Road next to Chorlton Library M21 9PN. Closed for health & safety reasons, refurb underway.