Galleywall Nature Reserve is currently open every Wednesday 1-5pm -- come along and help out or just enjoy the space!
March 25, 2026
February 02, 2023
After a period in hibernation, Galleywall Nature Reserve blogspot is being revived.
We are happy to let you know that our open days will be held on the following dates, from 2 - 4 pm
Sunday 12th March
Sunday 23rd April
Sunday 21st May
Sunday 18th June
Sunday 23rd July
Sunday 20th August
Sunday 17th September
Sunday 15th October
Sunday 19th November
There is always a campfire, tea and something to roast on the fire, and there are things to do for children and families. If you feel like just chilling it is a great place to do that, but if you feel like getting your hands dirty there are always planting, clearing and maintenance tasks to do.
Just turn up!
September 22, 2016
Bees at Galleywall
Some photos from last weekend, when beekeeper Sharon Bassey opened up our beehive to show us how the bees do their thing!
March 14, 2016
Spring/Summer 2016 events at Galleywall
Our calendar of events for this year is now available. I hope to see you down the reserve sometime!
Your first opportunity is this Sunday (20th March), from 2pm to 4pm, when we will be building a bike parking area from drainpipes, and if there's time, doing some repairs to the habitat wall. All hands welcome of any age or experience! Afterwards we'll reward ourselves with some lovely food cooked on our cob hearth.
As ever, you're also welcome just to come along and enjoy the reserve if you prefer.
February 15, 2016
February Update
Our planning meeting went well and we have some great ideas for next
year. We've also got teachers from several schools visiting this week to
talk about taking class groups to the reserve, and a new volunteer
group, GoodGym, did lots of clearing-up work on Wednesday evening.
Our next open afternoon is Sunday 28th February, 2pm-4pm, at the
reserve. We're intending to finalise our event planning for this summer,
so if anyone has any ideas, please do come along (or if you can't make
it, email or message us with your thoughts or ideas). If you just want
to come and visit the reserve and have a cup of tea, that's fine too --
we'll have the fire going!
year. We've also got teachers from several schools visiting this week to
talk about taking class groups to the reserve, and a new volunteer
group, GoodGym, did lots of clearing-up work on Wednesday evening.
Our next open afternoon is Sunday 28th February, 2pm-4pm, at the
reserve. We're intending to finalise our event planning for this summer,
so if anyone has any ideas, please do come along (or if you can't make
it, email or message us with your thoughts or ideas). If you just want
to come and visit the reserve and have a cup of tea, that's fine too --
we'll have the fire going!
January 14, 2016
Self-guided school and group visits
Just a quick update to let you know that if you are (or know of) a local school or other group who wishes to visit us, we now have comprehensive self-guided visit information (including session and activity ideas) available online.
We are really keen to see as many people as possible make use of the reserve!
January 08, 2016
2016 Planning Meeting
All is quiet down at Galleywall Nature Reserve at the moment -- but
we're starting to think about events and activities to offer during
2016.
If you would like to help out, if you have any ideas, or if you're just
interested in finding out what's happening, please come along to City
Hope Church (121 Drummond Road, SE16 2JY) at 7 PM on Tuesday 19th
January. All are welcome!
If you would like to help out but can't make that date, please do email
us or get in touch on Facebook or Twitter.
Happy New Year!
November 22, 2015
Autumn Celebration
The rain held off last Sunday afternoon at Galleywall, though we had the awning and a gazebo up just in case! We got the kettle on, and Christine and Juliet brought cake and biscuits, as well as some marshmallows to
toast on the fire.
It's definitely autumn now with leaves falling, and the rain does mean that the pond is filling up again after getting quite low during the dry summer. Hopefully all the frogs have found somewhere safe to see out the
winter and will return to lay frogspawn in the spring!
The reserve won't be open in December or January, but our AGM is likely to be on the 19th January. All are welcome to attend in order to contribute ideas and energy for running the reserve. We're particularly looking for someone interested in permaculture, and individuals to plan our spring/summer 2016 events. Please do get in touch if you are interested.
toast on the fire.
It's definitely autumn now with leaves falling, and the rain does mean that the pond is filling up again after getting quite low during the dry summer. Hopefully all the frogs have found somewhere safe to see out the
winter and will return to lay frogspawn in the spring!
The reserve won't be open in December or January, but our AGM is likely to be on the 19th January. All are welcome to attend in order to contribute ideas and energy for running the reserve. We're particularly looking for someone interested in permaculture, and individuals to plan our spring/summer 2016 events. Please do get in touch if you are interested.
November 09, 2015
Sun 15th Nov: Autumn Celebration!
After a fantastic fungi and foraging tour last month, join us again at Galleywall this coming Sunday (15th November) between 2 and 4pm for an Autumn Celebration. We'll have tea and cakes; as ever you can try out our Nature Trail and do some pond-dipping; and we'll do a bit of tidying up around the reserve as winter approaches.
The reserve won't be open in December and January, so this is your last chance for this year to come and enjoy our little bit of urban greenery. The weather is predicted to be mild so do come and join us.
The reserve won't be open in December and January, so this is your last chance for this year to come and enjoy our little bit of urban greenery. The weather is predicted to be mild so do come and join us.
October 04, 2015
Fungi and Foraging, Sunday 11th October
Fungi and foraging expert Roland Neal will be leading a tour round the nature reserve next weekend, at 2pm on Sunday 11th October. Come round to find out about the edible plants and fungi we can find in our little patch of urban greenery -- and the ones that you can't eat!
If you look carefully (they're very small...) you might also see some of this year's baby frogs still hanging out in the dark damp patches near the pond.
And as ever we'll get the kettle on the hearth for tea.
See you there, 2pm onwards, next Sunday!
If you look carefully (they're very small...) you might also see some of this year's baby frogs still hanging out in the dark damp patches near the pond.
And as ever we'll get the kettle on the hearth for tea.
See you there, 2pm onwards, next Sunday!
July 22, 2015
Pop-Up Parks and Forest School this Sunday
Two events coming up at Galleywall this Sunday (26th July)!
Pop-Up Parks will be visiting between 10am and 4pm, bringing their fabulous play equipment and huge enthusiasm with them. It's absolutely free, so bring your kids along to try it all out.
Jenny will also be running another Forest School taster session between 2pm and 4pm, also absolutely free, and aimed at children aged between 2 and 12. Expect to investigate our mini-beasts (hopefully we'll get to see how the tadpoles are doing), explore the reserve, and cook some marshmallows over the fire!
As ever adults are also very welcome just to come and enjoy the space (and perhaps cook the odd marshmallow too), any time between 10am and 4pm. Hope to see you there!
Pop-Up Parks will be visiting between 10am and 4pm, bringing their fabulous play equipment and huge enthusiasm with them. It's absolutely free, so bring your kids along to try it all out.
Jenny will also be running another Forest School taster session between 2pm and 4pm, also absolutely free, and aimed at children aged between 2 and 12. Expect to investigate our mini-beasts (hopefully we'll get to see how the tadpoles are doing), explore the reserve, and cook some marshmallows over the fire!
As ever adults are also very welcome just to come and enjoy the space (and perhaps cook the odd marshmallow too), any time between 10am and 4pm. Hope to see you there!
June 13, 2015
Big Lunch 2015
Last week it was time again for the Big Lunch at Galleywall -- getting together for food and conversation with neighbours.
The human neighbours enjoying the afternoon
The tadpole neighbours busy growing legs
The bees making the most of the sunshine to gather nectar and pollen.
The weather was glorious and so was the food!
Veggies from local gardens gathered by Eddy, and cupcakes from Karen.
Scones warming on the new cob hearth.
Warm scones ready for cream and jam!
Christine with a baked potato from Andrew's raised bed.
Many thanks to Christine for organising it, and to everyone who contributed.
The human neighbours enjoying the afternoon
The tadpole neighbours busy growing legs
The bees making the most of the sunshine to gather nectar and pollen.
The weather was glorious and so was the food!
Veggies from local gardens gathered by Eddy, and cupcakes from Karen.
Scones warming on the new cob hearth.
Warm scones ready for cream and jam!
Christine with a baked potato from Andrew's raised bed.
Many thanks to Christine for organising it, and to everyone who contributed.
April 13, 2015
Clay and tadpoles
We had a really busy afternoon on Sunday, as illustrated by these photos:
Next session is Sunday 26th April, 2pm-4pm. Forest School taster session for children, and adults can help us plant out various new plants behind the pond.
Pond-dippping
Tadpoles!
Building the cob hearth
Cob hearth nearly complete
As our new gate is halfway installed now, we were able to put up the main sign (created last summer) and noticeboard
Next session is Sunday 26th April, 2pm-4pm. Forest School taster session for children, and adults can help us plant out various new plants behind the pond.
March 11, 2015
Reserve open this Sunday (March 15)!
It's spring at Galleywall!
We're still finalising the calendar of events for the year, but to start off with we are opening the reserve this coming Sunday (March 15th) for a general maintenance session and to plant some new plants on the slope behind the pond.
Come and enjoy the peace and quiet and find out some of our plans for the year, including a cob hearth building event (12th April), the Big Lunch (7th June), and permaculture and plant identification sessions.
It would be great to see you this coming Sunday - just turn up between 1.30 and 3.30pm.
We're still finalising the calendar of events for the year, but to start off with we are opening the reserve this coming Sunday (March 15th) for a general maintenance session and to plant some new plants on the slope behind the pond.
Come and enjoy the peace and quiet and find out some of our plans for the year, including a cob hearth building event (12th April), the Big Lunch (7th June), and permaculture and plant identification sessions.
It would be great to see you this coming Sunday - just turn up between 1.30 and 3.30pm.
February 26, 2015
Skills Exchange at Elephant & Castle
HourBank (together with People's Bureau and Time4Southwark) are running a Skills Exchange event in March which looks great:
They say:
"Wander round our stalls, pick up some new skills, get something fixed, and have some fun."
Saturday 28th March, 11-4pm, at Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre.
Meanwhile, down on the Nature Reserve, spring is just started to poke its head up... Our first event this year will be Sunday 15th March, when we'll be doing some planting on the bank behind the pond. Watch this space for more information on the rest of the year -- we have lots planned!
They say:
"Wander round our stalls, pick up some new skills, get something fixed, and have some fun."
Saturday 28th March, 11-4pm, at Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre.
Meanwhile, down on the Nature Reserve, spring is just started to poke its head up... Our first event this year will be Sunday 15th March, when we'll be doing some planting on the bank behind the pond. Watch this space for more information on the rest of the year -- we have lots planned!
January 08, 2015
Planning meeting, Tue 13th Jan
It would be great if you could come along to our planning meeting for this year which is scheduled for Tuesday January 13th 2015, 7 pm, at City Hope Church ,121 Drummond Road SE16 2JY, just round the corner from the Blue.
2015 at Galleywall Nature Reserve should be good. We are hoping to install an improved rainwater harvesting system, get our raised beds regularly tended by local people, build a cob hearth and hold more days where children and their families can have fun cooking, making hot drinks safely, and learning how to build and tend a real campfire.
In addition we will be extending our habitat wall, applying to the Guinness book of records to be recognised as having the biggest bug hotel in London, improving our permaculture section and growing more wild food. We will be introducing bees to the reserve.
We hope you can come and help us make these plans a reality. We need your help to open the reserve regularly, and to give us more ideas and build a reliable team to keep the reserve well looked after. DO come along and have your say.
2015 at Galleywall Nature Reserve should be good. We are hoping to install an improved rainwater harvesting system, get our raised beds regularly tended by local people, build a cob hearth and hold more days where children and their families can have fun cooking, making hot drinks safely, and learning how to build and tend a real campfire.
In addition we will be extending our habitat wall, applying to the Guinness book of records to be recognised as having the biggest bug hotel in London, improving our permaculture section and growing more wild food. We will be introducing bees to the reserve.
We hope you can come and help us make these plans a reality. We need your help to open the reserve regularly, and to give us more ideas and build a reliable team to keep the reserve well looked after. DO come along and have your say.
November 18, 2014
Winter flowers
Some winter flowers on the nature reserve:
Creeping buttercup (we had lots of this earlier in the year, but a couple of plants are flowering again in the mild weather).
I don't recognise this one, which was growing under the trees by the gate -- any offers?
The Daubenton's Kale is doing well, too, in the permaculture area.
The reserve will be shut now for a couple of months -- see you in the spring!
October 25, 2014
Permaculture and fungi at Galleywall
Last weekend we had the last of the scheduled 2014 sessions at Galleywall (though there's one extra one -- see below), on Permaculture.
Permaculture is a way of approaching gardening, agriculture, and life sustainably and positively. Check out the Permaculture Principles site (and the previous link to the Permaculture Association) for more information. The drop-in session at the reserve was a lot of fun, and we looked at ways of thinking about permaculture principles, and at some of the permaculture aspects and links of Galleywall.
I also had a look around the reserve and found some cool fungi:
The bottom ones are ink caps but I'm not sure about the top ones (opinions welcome!).
We'll have one more open afternoon at Galleywall, on Sunday 16th November (1:30-3:30pm) before winter. Nothing particular planned -- we'll be brewing tea over the fire, and will do a bit of end-of-year tidying up. Come along to help or just to drink tea and toast a marshmallow or two!
Permaculture is a way of approaching gardening, agriculture, and life sustainably and positively. Check out the Permaculture Principles site (and the previous link to the Permaculture Association) for more information. The drop-in session at the reserve was a lot of fun, and we looked at ways of thinking about permaculture principles, and at some of the permaculture aspects and links of Galleywall.
I also had a look around the reserve and found some cool fungi:
We'll have one more open afternoon at Galleywall, on Sunday 16th November (1:30-3:30pm) before winter. Nothing particular planned -- we'll be brewing tea over the fire, and will do a bit of end-of-year tidying up. Come along to help or just to drink tea and toast a marshmallow or two!
September 24, 2014
Finding out about bees!
We were lucky enough to have a couple of experienced beekeepers come to talk to us at Galleywall on Sunday - and they brought some of their friends with them.
The bees are temporarily shut into the frame when its out on display like this to keep both bees and people safe. In the bottom photo beekeeper Sharon is in the background.
It was really fascinating to watch the bees busily moving around cleaning out cells and feeding from the pot at the top. The queen - a real veteran at 3 years old (in theory queens can live to 5 but this is the oldest queen beekeeper Sharon has seen) - seemed to be laying eggs.
Unfortunately I couldn't get a clear photo of the queen, who was marked with a yellow dot.
We also got a chance to feel some of the wax comb.
We were hoping to get a hive at the reserve this year but due to illness (of the beekeeper not of the bees!) will have to wait until spring. Bees are incredibly important to the environment, and we already have habitat for solitary bees in various places, and had a bumblebee nest in one of our bird boxes this year, so being able to house some honeybees as well is great.
Check out the British Beekeepers Association for more information about honeybees, and many thanks to the beekeepers who came along to talk to us!
The bees are temporarily shut into the frame when its out on display like this to keep both bees and people safe. In the bottom photo beekeeper Sharon is in the background.
It was really fascinating to watch the bees busily moving around cleaning out cells and feeding from the pot at the top. The queen - a real veteran at 3 years old (in theory queens can live to 5 but this is the oldest queen beekeeper Sharon has seen) - seemed to be laying eggs.
Unfortunately I couldn't get a clear photo of the queen, who was marked with a yellow dot.
We also got a chance to feel some of the wax comb.
We were hoping to get a hive at the reserve this year but due to illness (of the beekeeper not of the bees!) will have to wait until spring. Bees are incredibly important to the environment, and we already have habitat for solitary bees in various places, and had a bumblebee nest in one of our bird boxes this year, so being able to house some honeybees as well is great.
Check out the British Beekeepers Association for more information about honeybees, and many thanks to the beekeepers who came along to talk to us!
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