Blakedown Landscapes has been appointed as the principal contractor to deliver the hard and soft landscaping works, along with constructing a new café and greenhouses, at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in South London as part of its Nature + Love redevelopment project.
Works began earlier this month and are due to finish in Spring 2026.
The Gardens Nursery elements include the demolition and redevelopment of the glasshouses and ancillary buildings, including a plant nursery and potting shed; a community workshop space and garden; new and refurbished pathways; new street furniture and planting.
In a new play area works include the construction of a café; installation of nature-themed play facilities; drainage and significant soft landscaping including expert soil handling and re-use. The project has a strong focus on sustainability, ecological value, biodiversity protection and enhancement and the use of recycled materials.
Nature + Love has at its heart an ambition to celebrate and foster a love of nature, both inside the Horniman and in the Gardens. The transformational project will redevelop three areas of the Horniman – the Natural History Gallery, a new outdoor play area with café and improved access to the Nature Trail, and the Gardens Nursery area.
The development of the play area and improved access to the Nature Trail is supported by Kusuma Trust. The wider Nature + Love project has been awarded £5.7m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund alongside support from other funders.
Kirsten Walker, Director of Collections Care and Estates at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, says: “We are delighted to work with Blakedown Landscapes once again on this exciting next phase of our Nature + Love project.
“Their skill, experience and commitment to sustainable practices make them an ideal fit to help us realise the ambition of this transformational project to make the Horniman more inclusive and accessible and help future generations to better protect and celebrate the natural world.”
Chris Wellbelove, Director of Blakedown Landscapes, commented: “Blakedown Landscapes is proud to once again partner with the Horniman Museum and Gardens, this time on the Nature + Love project. This transformative initiative will deepen connections between people and nature, fostering exploration, learning, and sustainability.
Building on our work on the historic gardens’ redevelopment in 2012, which created spaces for interpretation and outdoor learning, and the pathway project in 2023, which improved access across the site, we are proud to contribute to this next chapter in the Horniman’s vision for inspiring a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world.”
