Following nearly four years of development‚ the Valley Gardens have re–opened to the University community.
Located to the south of the Highfield Campus‚ behind the Jubilee Sports Hall and Students’ Union building, the gardens were first created in 1951 and home to many rare plant and animal species. In the late 1960s the Department of Biology began to manage the Valley Gardens site and laid out the Gardens, planting many specimen plants of which many were non-native species. Over the subsequent three decades the gardens developed and went through a number of changes, but eventually fell into a state of disrepair.
In May 2008, a Valley Gardens Project Team was created and tasked with rejuvenating the gardens with the aim of creating a more accessible, tranquil and biodiverse landscape for all to enjoy.
Great crested newts, badgers, frogs, slow worms and even human beings have all played their part in the Valley Gardens Restoration Programme
The Project Team would like to thank Friends who have donated to and supported Valley Gardens including the following:-
- Philip Osborn for his gift of support to the Gardens and his donation to fund the vehicular and pedestrian bridge, in memory of his wife Hazel Osborn née Muras.
- Bill Brown for his donation to fund the pedestrian bridge in memory of his wife Janice Brown.
- The Family of Caroline Thomas for their donation of a commemorative bench in Caroline’s memory.
- The Staff Club for their kind financial donation following closure of the club.
Further restoration works to the gardens are planned and donations are still being sought.
The promotion of biodiversity on our campuses is a key strand of our campaign to promote sustainability at the University. Find out more by visiting: http://southampton.likn.co/susdev/