At our AGM in November, author Michael Gilson, spoke about the early days of the Dover House Estate, created on ‘Garden City’ principles as part of the house building initiative after the first world war. ‘Homes for Heroes’ were declared by prime minister Lloyd-George – which would include the right to green space to grow food. Each house would have it’s own green space and allotment plots would be part of the design.

Of course, many who rented the houses were not naturally green fingered, and had never owned a garden before, so Richard Sudell, a Quaker and political firebrand as well as a well known plantsman and garden writer took on the challenge of helping. He set up training allotments and gave lessons, forming the Roehampton Estate Garden Society. It seems that meetings of the committee took place in the basement at St. Margaret’s church, just below where we have our AGM. Roehampton became one of the leading garden estates in Britain as the country became the ‘nation of gardeners’./

Our centenary exhibition featured boards about this history – which are now in PDF form. We hope you will read and enjoy them. You may have to use the links after each page to read the whole pdf. Use the slider bars on the right if you see them (desktop only).

READ about the building of the Dover House Estate

READ about Richard Sudell and the founding of the RGS

READ about Living on the Dover House Estate

In 1955 the two Roehampton horticultural societies merged together to become Roehampton Garden Society.

Michael Gilson’s fascinating book, Behind the Privet Hedge, is now available from booksellers.