Midsomer Norton Community Open Space

The new community open space at Gullock Tyning was officially opened by Midsomer Norton’s Mayor, Cllr Gordon Mackay, on Saturday 25th November. Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, Bath & North East Somerset Council, Dragonfly Leisure, Midsomer Norton Town Council and the Food Forest Project, Midsomer Norton now has a beautiful forest garden as part of the Midsomer Norton Community Open Space project.

But that’s not all! The new space also features a children’s play area, a landscaped picnic area, and a food-foraging garden. It’s an ideal setting for everyone in the community to come together and enjoy the great outdoors.

Quote from Jan, who came to volunteer on the day, “Midsomer Norton has a strong heritage of community food growing with many of the terraces having allotment gardens. If anyone’s allotment didn’t grow any food, the others would club together to make sure that person still had food. This project reflects the town’s heritage, and community spirit!”

The garden, play park and picnic areas are now open for people to visit but the real splendour won’t be until late spring/summer when the forest garden will be full of life. Over the next few years, more and more food will grow free for the community to pick whist they wait for their families to play football, play in the park, skateboard or swim.

Gordon Mackay: It’s fantastic to see this area at Gullock Tyning being transformed over the last few years.  My thanks for all the hard work that’s gone into making this possible.   The forraging garden is a wonderful idea and I’m looking forard to spending some lovey summer days here with my children.  Along with the new adventure play park, the table-tennis table and our new Town Park just along the road, Midsomer  Norton is a great destination for families from across the whole Somer Valley.”