Ebenezer Gate Pocket Park

The Ebenezer Gate Pocket Park is an example of how an abandoned pocket of urban space can be reimagined and reclaimed for the community. The site was formally a pocket of overgrown and fly-tipped land, closed off to the public, along North Street in Bedminster, Bristol. Since 2016, the space has been transformed into a community space with raised wooden planters, wildlife friendly planting, a community herb bed, and a free library.

The Pocket Park was awarded a small grant through the second round of the Community Pollinator Fund in 2023. The aim of their project was to enhance their urban garden for pollinators and other insects whilst engaging the surrounding community in Bedminster in environmental education and action. Their team of volunteers installed a wooden pergola with climbing nectar rich plants to create a ‘nectar bar’ for pollinators, alongside sprucing up the existing raised planters with new pollinator-friendly plants. Five solitary bee hotels were also installed alongside a woodpile using foraged and decaying logs.

The Park features a raised bank which has been improved with organic compost and additional planting. A team of local volunteers were joined by the University of Bristol who gave up their time to help with planting, weeding, and tidying. At a nearby local school, volunteers revamped part of the school grounds, planting sunflowers alongside a wooden bee hotel. The children were taught how to make their own bee hotels at home and the importance of pollinators. These workshops will serve as a springboard for a nature-based class project next term.

Since the project’s launch, the team have seen both an increase in foot traffic, with visitors commenting on how improved the space is thanks to the new plantings, pergola, and raised beds, alongside an increase in pollinator activity. Bees, wasps, hoverflies, and moths have been observed in the Pocket Park, with the bee hotels attracting insect visitors just days after their installation.