Baydon St Nicholas, Rainscape Project

In 2018 we transformed a formerly unused area within the primary school grounds. The now beautiful area is loved and well used by the students and is a space that is helping to capture rain and allow it to slowly permeate into the ground, rather than picking up pollutants from roads and running directly into storm drains and entering the river.

We worked closely with garden designer Wendy Allen to create a garden with lots of SuDS features that are beneficial to the environment and are also fun and educational for children. Our led volunteering tasks gave both our regular volunteers and parents of St Nicholas students opportunities to directly help create the rain garden, from installing a water butt to digging and planting; and installing a small bridge.
The project aims to raise awareness that water is a valuable resource, not to be wasted and that rain needs permeable places to slowly filter into the ground and recharge the aquifers that feed our chalk streams. The project is a great demonstration site to showcase examples of the small steps that can be taken to improve our rivers.
For more Rain Garden information click here and here.