Marnock Lake Repairs
Southern Water are currently repairing the collapsed drain by the lake, as a result the paths around the lake are closed for safety reasons. We have been assured that any trees removed to facilitate the repair will be replaced.
Please direct any questions to the Council.
FoGH Committee: 10 Oct 2024
South and South East in Bloom 2024 Awards
Today we heard that the Friends Group was awarded Level 5:Outstanding in the It's Your Neighbourhood awards. And equally exciting for us the park won Gold and was the overall category winner for Large Parks (above 25 acres).
Thank you to the council, Tunbridge Wells in Bloom, Tony and all our volunteers who helped achieve these awards.
See the full list of Tunbridge Wells' In Bloom Awards
FoGH Committee: 20 Sep 2024
Welcome
The Friends
Support The Park
Park Events

Committee Report

News from the Committee

On the whole, it's been a pleasant summer (when it finally arrived) and it looks like we will be enjoying a last blast of warm weather before the autumn chill creeps into the air. Just after we sent out our Summer update, loads of volunteers re planted the baskets around the playground and bowls green railings. Another group of volunteers have been watering these through the months, and they have provided a blast of summer colours, even when the sun hasn't shone. The park has retained its Green Flag status, and we are waiting for the results of this year's In Bloom Judging.

Click here to show the rest of the report.

Click here to collapse the report.

Keeping our Park beautiful

We have had lots of reports come through to us via email, social media, face-to-face interactions, and messages passed on to our park keeper, Tony about various issues in the Park. I'd like to thank everyone who has reached out with feedback. As Chair, I've spent time liaising with the council and the Kent High Weald Partnership (KHWP) to address maintenance issues brought to our attention.

We have communicated all current concerns to the appropriate teams, and plans are in place to tackle them as we move into autumn, a time that minimises disruption to wildlife. Upcoming actions include several KHWP (Kent High Weald Partnership) workdays to tidy the wetlands, a weed clearance operation in Marnock Lake organised by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC), and efforts to tackle invasive species like Himalayan balsam and sallow. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us maintain the park, so please continue to share any issues or suggestions you have.

Events in the Park

Looking back over the past few months, we have held several fun and informative events over the summer, a tree walk, bat walks, moth mornings and of course the regular maintenance activities of the green team, like orchard pruning. As summer fades, FoGH is looking forward to our Autumn and Winter events programme. There's pond dipping, Halloween crafts, a fungal foray, a quiz night... And of course Apple Day.

We're looking forward to seeing you over the next few months.

Carolyn Gray: FoGH Chair

September 2024

Previous Reports

  • News from the Committee - June 2024
  • News from the Committee - December 2023

The Friends of Grosvenor & Hilbert Park

FoGH was set up in 2011. Our key focus is to enhance the quality of life for our community; raise awareness of ecology; and encourage the local community to take an interest in the conservation of the Park. Our work takes many forms, from family events, talks, walks and gardening, to ecological projects, such as rewilding the orchard.

Find the Park

Our Park has several access points. Use the postcode TN1 2HU to get to the entrance in Auckland Road. For the Hilbert Road entrance, near the Oast House, use TN2 3SF. All parking for the Park is on residential streets, there is no car park.

Useful Contacts

To report an incident to Kent Police in Grosvenor and Hilbert Park

  • Emergency: dial 999
  • Non-emergency: dial 101

Other contacts

  • Council Parks Department: 01892 554031

To hire The Hub please contact the council to check for availability and instructions by sending an email to parksteam [at] tunbridgewells.gov.uk or by phoning 01892 554031

  • Friends of Grosvenor & Hilbert Park: chair [at] fogh.org.uk

Please note there is a defibrillator at the Hub, if needed phone 999 to get the access code and assistance when using it.

Email the chair of FoGH
Email TWBC to book the Hub

What's On in the Park

Below are our upcoming events, there are more details on our full events page.

Halloween Crafts

Sat 26th October: 2-4 pm

The Hub

Get the family into the spirit of Halloween with the Fiends of Grosvenor & Hilbert Park themed craft event.

This event is free to attend, but donations are always welcome.

 

Fungal Foray

Sat 2nd November: 10.30-12.30 pm

The Hub

Discover the Park's fungi on this exploration & identification walk led by expert Keith Palmer.

Limited tickets (£2.00) for this event will be available from 19th October 2024. FoGH members get exclusive access to tickets before they go on general release.

 

Also coming soon - for more details check our full events page.

9 Nov: FoGH Quiz with Fish & Chips
7 Dec: Santa in the City
8 Dec: Christmas Carols
 

Get Involved in the Park

The are two ways you can get involved with the park.

Join the Friends

We are a volunteer-run group that relies on donations from events and membership fees. By signing up and joining the Friends you will help fund our work and put on community events in the park.

Follow the link and sign-up on line.

Volunteer

Alternatively or additionally you might like to volunteer to undertake tasks around the park. We regularly hold weeding and planting event and there's always litter picking.

Simply sign up to our volunteer newsletter and we will tell you when something suitable is planned.