On Friday, I visited The Garden in Downside with local councillor David Lewis and Alistair Mann, Chair of the Cobham Chamber of Commerce.
Formerly The Medicine Garden and the kitchen garden of the Cobham Park Estate, this site is now under new ownership, with Victoria Rosewarn and Sam Slipper looking to restore and redevelop it in a sustainable way. These plans involve rebuilding the glass house in the original style, to become a restaurant supplied by produce grown on site – including honey from the beehives they’ve already installed.
Victoria and Sam have an amazing vision for this site and are expecting to create around 50 new jobs after the redevelopment. When The Garden opens, it’s sure to be a popular addition to the local Cobham and Downside community.