The Greenhouse Project at Witton Country Park
The Greenhouse Project is run by The Lancashire Wildlife Trust as part of its pioneering Nature & Wellbeing Service.
The Greenhouse Project seeks to support people to develop skills in growing food – fruit, vegetables and wildlife friendly plants – and live more in harmony with the natural world.
As well as growing food we use / recycle local waste and natural products, produce compost, our own fertiliser and hope soon to capture our own water and generate our own electricity.
...a place for people to enjoy peace, laughter, creativity, learning, belonging and friendship
Where is The Greenhouse Project?
This video will show you where to find us in Witton Country Park. what3words for the entrance: ///almost.rewarding.wool
Greenhouses at Myerscough College
What do we do at The Greenhouse Project?
In addition to getting more physically active the greenhouses are a place for people to enjoy peace, laughter, creativity, learning, belonging and friendship.
The project also works with local community groups across the borough to support them to grow food as well as discover local places of natural beauty through wildlife walks.
As well as helping out at the greenhouses people joining the project will also get the chance to participate in conservation activities, bushcraft, wildlife walks and mindfulness activities.
What's on at The Greenhouses?
Events
From weekly volunteer sessions and seasonal equinox celebrations, to workshops, courses and guided walks, The Greenhouse Project is a thriving hub of activity all year round. The greenhouses are a gorgeous, respectful space to grow vegetables, learn new skills, give back to nature and connect with your community. Look out on our events page for upcoming events, and type in 'Witton greenhouse project' in the location search bar.
Introduction to Lino Print using Botanical Forms | Afternoon Session
Make a Wooden Bench or Stool by hand: Beginners' Workshop
Andy's Greenhouse Diary
Andy Mather is keeping us up to date with all that's going on at The Greenhouse Project.
Check out the previous season's entries on the Andy's Greenhouse Diary blog post.
Summer 2025
Wildlife Pond at The Greenhouse Project
Our wonderful student placement Oliver has just completed our new and improved wildlife pond in the Forest Garden – hoping for even more frogs next spring!
North West in Bloom judges visit The Greenhouse Project!
North West in Bloom judges visit The Greenhouse Project!
We hosted a North West In Bloom judges visit to our project and eight other community gardens in Blackburn and Darwen in July; fingers crossed for the results (we won’t find out until November how we did!). Here are our judges Bernard and Sharon being shown around Audley Community Park by Ian.
Year 5 Gardening Club Blackburn
Young Gardeners: Year 5 Gardening Club at St Mary’s and St Joseph’s
We’ve been working with the Year 5 Gardening Club at St Mary’s and St Joseph’s School in Blackburn to maintain Herb Planters on Blackburn Train Station and create signs to encourage travellers to pick and use the herbs.
Handmade nettle cordage
Our Volunteers got creative this month and made use of our thriving nettle patches to make cordage.
The history of the greenhouses
The greenhouses are on the site of a former kitchen garden which produced food for Witton Hall – the home of mill owners the Fielden family for whom Witton Park was a private estate. The land was bought by the council in the 1950’s and turned into a public country park for all to enjoy.
One of the Witton Greenhouses waiting to be renovated
The greenhouses were constructed by Blackburn with Darwen council in the 1970’s and were used until 2009 to grow bedding plants for the borough’s parks, gardens and public spaces. They were empty since then until March 2021 when The Greenhouse Project sought to clean them up and bring them back to life for the benefit of local people and wildlife.
The clean up operation of both the inside of the greenhouses and the outside areas has taken a lot of work from local people participating in the greenhouse project as well as other local volunteer groups such as The Green Gym without whom the amount of progress in the early days of the renovation would not have been possible.
Greenhouses at Witton Park, Blackburn
All of the greenhouse had tables with asbestos surfaces which had to be removed at significant cost. This cost was met by generous individuals donating to a crowdfunding appeal as well as Star Tissue and SUEZ waste management which then allowed growing beds to be constructed and installed.
Rows and rows of planters at The Greenhouse Project
Photo by Alex Critchley
