Cricketfield Community Garden: A Green Heart Beating in the Middle of Torquay

Tucked behind Torquay Academy, where the hum of school life meets the quiet industry of nature, Cricketfield Community Garden has become one of Torquay’s cherished green sanctuaries. At just 1.5 acres, it’s a masterclass in how much life, learning, and community spirit can flourish in a small space.

What began in 2015 as a simple community growing project has evolved into a vibrant, multi‑layered landscape: a meadow for gatherings, productive growing beds, a wild zone buzzing with pollinators, a play area for younger visitors, an education shed for rainy‑day learning, and a welcoming social space where conversations bloom as readily as the flowers. The land is owned by the neighbouring secondary school, which still supports the project by covering its water use — a quiet but meaningful investment in community wellbeing.

Today, the garden is stewarded by a dedicated committee that champions not just food growing, but wellbeing, education, and connection. And the impact is unmistakable.

Growing the Next Generation of Gardeners

In the first four months of this year alone, more than 150 schoolchildren have stepped through the garden gates. They come to learn about soil, seasons, volunteering, and the simple joy of being outdoors.

Vice‑chair Paddy Caines smiles as he describes the rhythm of these visits: “School sessions vary, but they always end the same way — juice, biscuits, and time in the play area.”

Sessions are run entirely by volunteers and tailored to each school’s curriculum. Staff attend only for safeguarding, leaving the garden team to guide children through hands‑on learning that textbooks simply can’t replicate.

A Garden Open to All

Cricketfield is a true community space — open to anyone who wants to wander, rest, or get their hands in the soil. Tuesday drop‑in sessions from 10 am to 1 pm draw a mix of regulars and newcomers: people on lunch breaks, parents with toddlers, retirees, and those simply seeking a moment of calm.

From Easter to October, monthly events bring the wider community together. These aren’t just fundraisers; they’re celebrations of local connection, seasonal abundance, and the shared pride that comes from tending a place collectively.

The committee itself grew from a group of volunteers who stepped up when previous funding ended. Now, around 20 volunteers support the garden in ways big and small — from weekly grafting to occasional help, from harvesting to baking cakes for events.

But like many community projects, they feel the pinch of modern life. Paddy notes, “It’s hard to get volunteers nowadays. People are stretched — longer hours, multiple jobs, and later retirement. Time is precious.”

Growing Food, Sharing Abundance

Some beds are privately rented for just £10 a year or two hours of volunteering a month — a wonderfully accessible way for people without gardens to grow their own produce.

The communal beds brim with vegetables harvested by volunteers, while much of the fruit becomes homemade jam sold to support the garden. Surplus produce finds its way to the honesty shop at the entrance, where passers‑by can pick up fresh, local food and contribute what they can.

A Place Where People and Nature Thrive

For Paddy, the magic of the garden is simple: “I love what we do here — connecting with people and nature. Watching insects, butterflies, bees, and meeting new people… It’s all so rewarding.”

Volunteer Ray Reynolds, who tends his own bed and gives far more than his required hours, feels the same pull: “I’ve always loved gardening. At home, my wife grows flowers in pots, but here I can grow vegetables and help with the garden overall.”

Why Community Gardens Matter

Cricketfield is more than a patch of cultivated land. It’s a living example of what community gardens offer:

• Biodiversity in places where wildlife is often squeezed out

• Food-growing skills are passed between generations

• Mental well-being through gentle activity and green space

• Social connection in an increasingly isolated world

• Local resilience, built one seedling at a time

In the heart of Torquay, this garden is proving that when people come together to nurture a shared space, the harvest is far richer than vegetables alone.