We were asked by GWR to update two forgotten planters, either side of the waiting room at Pewsey Station. Once looked after by the local Women’s Institute, but now tended by the station team and local volunteers, it was felt raised beds would be easier for all to manage. And make more of an impact.
Author archives: beefriendlytrust
Neasden Railway Station, London
There are a couple of old abandoned platforms at Neasden Station, dating back to 1880. The trains no longer stop at them, and the giant planters made from old railway sleepers, had been abandoned for decades. With a clearing of rubbish and a coat of paint, and with some new planting, they now cheer up the …
Rayners Lane Railway Station, London
Charles Holden’s classic station at Rayners Lane was opened in 1938. It included two ornamental flower beds. Abandoned for decades and the homes of brambles and rats, they have been brought back to their pre-war splendour by the BFT gardening team. We think that one or two of the plants might date back to the …
The Bee Friendly Skep Project
Where heritage craft meets modern art as a launchpad for new conversations around the importance of creating habitats for bees, pollinators and all wildlife. What is a skep? A skep is a basket. A bee skep is a basket for bees – so a traditional form of beehive. They are typically made from wicker or …
The Bee Friendly Skep Project launches!
We are super excited to reveal a new bee-friendly collaboration that we’ve been working on. The Bee Friendly Skep Project is a celebration of bees, British art and craftsmanship, and team spirit. Its purpose: To highlight the need to create new habitats where bees and other pollinators can thrive. We invited five female artists (Sarah …
And the winners are…
It’s time to celebrate all of the community activity that has been having a positive impact on bee populations around the globe. And to announce this year’s winners of the Bee Friendly Awards! We set up the Bee Friendly Awards to shine a light on all of the groups around the country that are championing …
Eleanor Brown, The Nose
A communal artwork created by the people of Walton-on-the-Naze and installed as part of a planter project at the station. Poems and pyrographics were made by Tendring Writers Group, Faye Rathe, Shorefields School, Clacton Coastal Academy, and The Colchester Refugee, Asylum Seekers and Migrants Network (RAMA), through workshops hosted by Eleanor Brown at The Nose. …
New art commission celebrates pollinators in stained glass
Earlier this year, we commissioned Niamh Walshe McBride to create a series of stained glass panels for the waiting area at Leyton Underground Station in London. Each panel features a different pollinator, including a bee, butterfly and ladybird. The panels, installed this month, sit alongside the lavender beds and wildlife garden that we have also …
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Niamh Walshe McBride
In 2024, we commissioned artist Niamh Walshe McBride to create these pollinator stained glass window panes for the waiting area at Leyton Underground Station, where we also have a bee-friendly wildlife garden.
Enso – Colchester Student Accommodation, Essex
A new student accommodation building in Hythe, near Colchester has been given a homes for nature make-over with bird boxes, bee house, giant bug hotel mushrooms, and a seeding of wildflowers.