Trees & Environment

Congratulations to Street Trees for Living

  PO Box 63473 London SE4 9AZ  Street Trees for Living (STfL) began as a small sub-project of Brockley Society in 2011. It has developed as an outstanding initiative since then, working in partnership with Lewisham Council’s Green Scene. By Easter this year new street trees had been planted in most of Lewisham’s wards, a grand total of 800 trees since 2012. Local residents and businesses have provided most of the funding, along with commitments to water the trees for their first years. Local assemblies have also made generous grants. Brockley Society, as the parent charity, is proud to have incubated and invested in such a worthwhile project. We have spent the last year assisting with the legal, financial and practical arrangements for what started simply as a tree project to become an independent charity. Following the joint signing of a handover agreement on 14 May 2020, we are now able to […]

Celebrate Brockley’s Mews and Greenways: Free Event

Date: Saturday 11th May, 11.30 – 3.00pm Location: Myatt Garden School, Rokeby Road SE4 1TY  Join us at a free event to celebrate Brockley’s unique mews and greenways, and promote open spaces networks. The event will be followed by a guided walk through local byways. See flyer below for the schedule of activities for the day. Free tickets can be booked on our TicketSource page:    

Breakspears Mews Community Garden – Senior Gardening Club 2018

FREE Senior Gardening Club starts on Thursday 12th April 2018. It runs for 8 weeks every Thursday, from 10am to 12.30pm Attend one session or all! Everyone is welcome, no gardening experience required and no need to book. The garden team will provide gardening tools, seeds, tea, coffee and biscuits. TIP: Please wear appropriate footwear, as it might be muddy and slippery. Take gardening gloves too. NOTE: in case of heavy rain the session will be cancelled Access: Breakspears Mews, Ashby Road, SE4 1UW or rear of St Peter’s Court, 29-31 Wickham Road, SE4 1NE For more info contact us at:      

BMCG leeks ready to be planted

Brockley Conservation Area: Advantages and Responsibilities

(This article appeared in the June 2016 Newsletter) Special architectural and historic interest Because of its special architectural and historic interest, Brockley Conservation Area was designated by the council in 1973 and extended in 1991, 1993 and 2005. Building of this speculatively-developed Victorian suburb began in the 1830s. Most houses were built in the second half of the 19th century, with southern parts completed in the 1900s. The special character comes from the variety of architectural styles and detail, the leafiness of gardens and trees, and the distinctive street layout. Distinctive detailing includes stucco capitals and window surrounds, tile paths, terracotta details and spacious front gardens. Post-war buildings exist almost entirely as a result of bomb destruction during the war. Large houses were requisitioned by the government for families made homeless by bombing and the council later bought up properties falling into dereliction, which explains the large number of council properties […]

Sunday March 13th: Brockley Street Trees event “Everything to play for!”

The Tree Committee cordially invite you to the 5th ‘Tree Enthusiasts’ event! 11.30am, Sunday 13th March 2016 Upstairs at the Talbot Public House “STREET TREES – Everything to play for!” Since 2012, local residents have raised and voted for funds to plant nearly 150 new trees, at numerous locations in the area. This Tree Committee informal open event is for anyone who is keen to see more new street trees (both in Brockley and beyond). Questions also welcome about any aspect of local trees in general, promotion of more, and choices for gardens, yards, plots or even pots. Tea/coffee and cakes served ALL WELCOME! FREE! Upstairs at the Talbot Public House 2 Tyrwhitt Road (Lewisham Way end) Please let us know you’re coming – or just turn up. Donations welcome Visit the BrockleyStreetTrees website

The Right Tree in Your Own Place

Brockley Society Tree Committee – Tree Enthusiast’s Event Sunday 29 November 2015 11.30am – 12.30pm The Talbot Public House, 2 Tyrwhitt Road, Brockley, SE4 1QG (Lewisham Way end) It’s tree-planting season in gardens as well as streets.  It’s another chance for many to replace a tree or plant a new one.  Questions will be welcomed by Brockley Society’s Tree Committee, about choices for gardens, yards, plots or even pots – and about the promotion of local trees in general. Alder, almond, angelica, apple, ash, aspen, autumn flowering cherry (shown) are a few of just the As……come and consider some of the rest this Sunday at a short and informal meeting.Tea/coffee and cakes served – donations welcomed.  If you can, please let us know if you can come – or just turn up!Contact: [email protected]

Loveliest of Trees

An outstanding concert of celebrated performers in a spectacular setting to raise funds for street tree planting in Brockley. Ticket price of £45 includes sparkling wine and canapes.

Tree Enthusiasts’ Event

Sunday 5 July 1015, 11am – 1pm Prendergast Hilly Fields College, Mural Hall, Hilly Fields Campus, SE4 1LE. Rachel Mooney from the Friends of Hilly Fields will present an extended version of the talk she gave at our Trees in the City conference in May 2014 about the history of Hilly Fields. It is a fascinating talk and highly recommended.

Brockley Society Tree Committee Event

Sunday 22 March 2015, 11.30am-12.30pm, The Talbot pub 2 Tyrwhitt Road, SE4 1QG, just in from Lewisham Way. Following the success of our first event in November 2014, the Tree Committee is once again hoping to meet anyone who wants to see new street trees in Brockley.  At the same time we are launching our commemorative tree scheme. Tea/coffee and cakes provided. http://brockleystreettrees.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/calling-all-tree-wardens.html

Trees in the City – a spring conference

Trees in the City – a Spring conference to be hosted by the Brockley Society Date:  Saturday 26th April 2014, 10am-3pm Venue:  LeSoCo (formerly Lewisham College), Lewisham Way, SE4 1UT   This FREE conference aims to promote awareness of the many threats to urban trees, and to encourage the maintenance of old ones and the planting of appropriate new ones, whether in streets, parks or gardens. We are lining up exciting speakers to inspire and inform! More details here.                                                                       Photo: Johnathan Hall     Brockley Society’s tree wardens ran a Christmas Hamper Prize Draw at Brockley Market on Lewisham Way to raise funds for Brockley street trees and to talk to people about the importance of trees. A splendid 205.07 was raised and Ian, with pink ticket No.51, walked away with the magnificent hamper. Our street trees are an incredibly valuable feature of our local environment. Brockley would not be […]

Brockley Is Getting Greener!

Good news on the local tree planting front. Transition Brockley teamed up with Brockley Cross Action Group and Brockley Society to put in a successful bid to the Local Assembly Fund for 6 trees to be planted, 4 in the new extended pavement along the Brockley Road opposite the Brockley Barge, one outside the Toad’s Mouth, and one at the corner outside the Sorting Office. Thanks to the funding, plans are underway for a winter planting of some mature trees with wide tree pits for extra underplanting. This effort should brighten up the surroundings, and of course, absorb CO2 along that stretch of Brockley Road. The Brockley Harvest group, a Transition Brockley initiative, has been picking apples and damsons at the request of fruit tree owners, but more pickers are needed to help harvest and process the huge abundance of fruit in Brockley which currently goes to waste. The Edible […]