IC’s ‘secret garden’ no longer a mystery
Imperial College has run into problems regarding its acquisition of Prince’s Gate gardens, the "secret garden" behind Weeks Hall.
The garden was bought by the College last year for an undisclosed sum of money, rumoured to be in the millions, from the widows of the previous owners. The reasons for the purchase were set out by Ian Caldwell, head of Estates: "...To provide a quality quiet garden area for the academic community to enjoy, with a relatively natural habitat in the middle of our hard urban campus... As a strategic purchase to project the College’s long term interests for developing the Sports Centre site and 8 to 15 Princes Gardens."
Mr Caldwell went on to deny suggestions that the college had plans to build anything on top of the garden, admitting that "the planners are unlikely to support this anyway". The possibility of extending the sports centre under the gardens has been examined, but studies concluded it would be more cost effective to build under the tennis courts. However, Mr Caldwell has suggested that the gardens could be open via swipe card access to all members of the college. Initial investigations by Felix found this not to be the case, with only residents of Weeks hall being allowed into the garden via the hall, and the path by the side of Weeks. Once access was gained (thanks to a Weeks resident), we discovered that the newly aquired part of the garden was padlocked, and the only way in was through a hole in the fence.
After Felix contacted Mr Caldwell for a second time, the swipecard machine now permits access for all students to the garden during the specified opening hours (9am-6pm). The gate was also unpadlocked. The gardens were at last open to the College community for "quiet study and contemplation". However, less than a week later, a Felix reporter reentered the garden to study (it is much quieter than Kensington Gardens, being virtually unknown to all but residents of Weeks Hall), only to find the gate locked and the gardens full of school children.
The garden is bordered by several properties that, although they do not own it, have legal rights set out in the deeds to the properties for access to the garden. In return, subscribers pay an amount towards the upkeep of the garden. The school involved is the Montessori St Nicholas Centre, which is situated on Princes Gate, to the north of the garden. Mr Caldwell stated that, though they have a right to use the garden, this does not extend to the children using the gardens as a playground. The children were using the garden in such a way that any other users would be prevented from enjoying quiet contemplation, in clear contravention of the "rules" stated on boards in the garden. The College, according to Mr Caldwell, "are not very happy at this and are taking it up in pretty tough terms with them."
A spokesman for the Montessori school said that the pupils are always under supervision when using the garden, and never do so in large groups. He said that the school was pleased to learn that IC had bought the garden, as they felt that the College would protect the garden, and the rights of those who own the properties around it. The school spokesman went on to suggest that the previous owners of the garden had been dissatisfied with the school’s use of the garden, but there was nothing that they could do about it, the rights of access being guaranteed in the deeds. He also claimed that IC had thus far been amicable in their attitude towards the school, but admitted that the College were unhappy with regards to the school’s use of the gardens.
The gardens should now open for the College community to use. Students are advised that to gain entry, they should use the gate to the east of Week’s hall, and follow the path.
This newly-constructed path was itself the subject of some controversy last year, as building work disrupted the residents of Weeks during the exam revision period
