A Garden in the heart of Broadmead
In 2008, the New Room trustees launched a funding appeal to help transform the Broadmead Courtyard of the New Room into a garden. It was hoped that this would not only enhance one of Bristol's premier heritage sites but also contribute towards the transformation of the retail city centre that has taken place over the past few years.
Today, a new garden has been created in the Broadmead Courtyard which provides a 'green oasis' for visitors and shoppers to enjoy in the heart of the city and offers a more suitable setting in which to welcome people to this historic chapel; the oldest Methodist building in the world. The chapel, which is a Grade One listed building and dates from 1739, is the cradle of the early Methodist movement begun by John and Charles Wesley that is now an international Christian denomination of over 75 million members.
The garden itself has been sub-divided into three interconnected spaces which are defined by clipped hedges and the re-use of cobbles and flagstones.
1) 'I look upon all the world as my parish' - from his journal of June 1739
2) 'An ounce of love is worth a pound of knowledge' - from a letter written to a school teacher at the school Wesley created (Kingswood) in November 1768
3) 'To invite, to convince, to offer Christ, to build up, and to do this in some measure in every sermon' - from the minutes of the first Methodist Conference in June 1744
4) 'The best of all is that God is with us' - his final words in March 1791
The space closest to the street is characterised by a simple herb garden to reflect John's interest in their use for medicinal purposes, and the tree is designed to soften the long gable end of the shops. This simple arrangement, which can be viewed through the gated stone archway, will provide a calming and unexpected green oasis in contrast to the visual barrage created by retail shops.
The space closest to the chapel has a simple arrangement of stone paving, clipped hedging and a tree which will help screen the unattractive views of the adjacent buildings and also provide a 'roof' to the space. It can also be used for a variety of different purposes, such as music and drama performances, and this arrangement again reflects John Wesley's focus on using space in a multi-purpose way.
The courtyard has six benches located along the wall for people to relax and enjoy their time in the garden and bespoke lighting has also been sited in the courtyard. This will not only highlight both the garden and chapel at night but will also be brought into use when the New Room hosts special evening events.
The New Room trustees would like to thank all those who have contributed towards the creation of this garden and hope that this 'green oasis' will offer a place for thought and reflection for people to enjoy for many years to come.
The official opening of the new Broadmead Courtyard Garden was held on Wesley Day (24th May) 2011. Over 220 people attended the opening ceremony which was then followed by a service in the New Room.
The four stone inscriptions around the base of the John Wesley statue were unveiled by The Lord Mayor of Bristol Geoffrey Gollop, Revd Dr Mark Wakelin from the Connexional Team of the Methodist Church, Revd Ward Jones Chairman of the Bristol Methodist District and Chairman of the New Room Trustees and Revd David Weeks Chaplain and former Warden of the New Room.
The event was also attended by the BBC Points West news programme and their weatherman, Richard Angwin, who presented his forecast from the courtyard garden.
There is a photo diary on the New Room Facebook page which show the garden being created. Please click on the link on the home page of this website to view this. Regular updates will also continue to be posted as the garden grows!
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