This prestigious award, managed by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, affirms the Gardens' high environmental standards as one of the country's finest green spaces.
Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award Scheme Manager, Paul Todd MBE, said the Gardens were a “vital green space” that provide “important opportunities for park users to improve their physical and mental health”.
He added: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved at the Royal Fort Gardens on achieving a Green Flag Award.”
Two members of the Royal Fort Gardens team, Tom Stevens and Josh Perry, attended the Green Flag Award Ceremony in London, and were presented with the award.
Tom, Horticultural Team Leader at the University of Bristol, said: “The ceremony was fun, there was lots of cake! We were last to go on stage, and we were getting a bit nervous, but it was brilliant for the team’s work to be recognised.”
Nestled in the heart of the University of Bristol's main campus, Royal Fort Gardens’ rich history dates back to the 17th century, when it was a Civil War fortification.
Visitors can explore the rolling landscape that retains much of its original 18th-century design by renowned landscape architect Humphry Repton. The gardens feature secluded areas, a pond, vibrant floral borders and an impressive collection of trees, many of which are labelled with QR codes linking to a tree map filled with facts.
Art enthusiasts will appreciate the gardens' unique installations, including a mirror maze and a sculpture of Henrietta Lacks by Helen Wilson-Roe, which is the first permanent statue of a Black woman in a UK public space.
A wildflower meadow, planted as part of the 'My Wild University' project, helps boost pollinator populations and there is a ‘bug hotel’.
Tom notes: “Over 90% of all bees in the UK are actually solitary bees, and are a massive mix of different species. They all seek out spaces to lay eggs, like hollow spaces in plants, brickwork and tree bark. Our bug hotel provides a space for them and other insects to do that.”
Students and locals can also volunteer in the Gardens. Tom said: “It’s been really fun giving people different ways to actually get hands on both maintaining and creating it. We’re very keen to get more people involved. We also enjoy sharing our experience on improving biodiversity in urban areas.”
Max Moorcroft, a soon-to-be 3rd year student studying Plant Science, has volunteered in the Gardens: “Volunteering in Royal Fort was a lovely way to spend time outdoors and have a break from studying. It felt especially rewarding being able to see the work we’d done, knowing that other people would enjoy the crocuses we’d planted- and hopefully spend more time outdoors themselves because of them.”