Hogarth's House Mulberry Garden Project

The Mulberry Project will work with stakeholders and local communities to enhance the garden, facilities and learning opportunities at Hogarth’s House. The project will:
1. Refurbish, invigorate and represent the garden, including the 17thC wall, as an innovative, outdoor exhibition, and a high quality setting for the Grade 1 listed house. Past stories of the gardens history will be brought to light, interpreted and explained for a wide range of visitors and learners.
2. Develop an engaging Learning Programme for schools and adults and a targeted skills programme for volunteers whilst providing opportunities for visitors of all ages to undertake formal and informal learning activities.
3. Establish a new accessible multi-purpose Learning Centre to host the learning and skills programme, events and activities. A new post will recruit, train and manage a team of volunteer gardeners and interpreters, and freelance expertise.
4. Ensure future sustainability of the site through creating new facilities that are fit for purpose, flexible and utilised to their full potential.

Background
A scheme has been developed for the refurbishment and re-presentation of the garden with Heritage Lottery Fund support, with the aim of completing the work by 2017/18, its tercentenary. The site which began life as a 17th century orchard - from which a mulberry tree survives, was the Hogarth family's garden from 1749 to 1808, provided a living for a Victorian pig-keeper and operated as nursery gardeners and has welcomed the public as visitors since 1904. The garden is currently a poor reflection on Hogarth’s beautiful Grade 1 listed house and yet has much to offer as an outdoor exhibition in its own right.