The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead designed and built The Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Garden in honour of Sir Nicholas Winton. Project Centre worked with the Borough to design the layout of the garden and its planting composition. We completed this from concept to construction and on a tight deadline. This is so that the PM and Maidenhead MP, Rt Hon and Theresa May can open it.
Sir Nicholas Winton
In 1939 Sir Nicholas Winton rescued 669 Jewish children from the Czech Republic and rehomed them in Britain. He was known to be a very kind and modest character: so much so that his altruism went unnoticed for nearly 50 years until his wife found a detailed scrapbook containing lists of the Jewish children he saved in their attic.
The memorial garden
The memorial garden is representative of the journey Sir Nicholas took, utilising symbolism throughout. As soon as you step through the garden entrance you are taken on Sir Nicholas’s challenging journey.
The design incorporates a winding path and planting which represent the challenges he faced. The plants also refer to his personal faith. The railway sleepers also symbolise the trains that took the children out of Prague.
In the first part of the path the yellow and black bamboo protects the children he saved (and now visitors) from harm. It provides a more enclosed area, obstructing the view for visitors and building excitement with their rustling sound as to what’s around the next corner. Wild strawberry plants were planted under the bamboo, which symbolise peace and spiritual purity, attributes that Sir Nicholas advocated. Visitors may also pick and eat the fruit.
Moving round you will come to a clearing, where the view opens up. Here you can sit down on the rounded mown grass area. The space is well-used by visitors as somewhere to relax on the grass, reading a book or having a picnic.
Here you can also enjoy a range of cool and warm coloured plants, some of which, including salvias and white lilacs, are aromatic. A tranquil pond with a fountain is the centre piece of the garden. Young gardeners from Courthouse Junior School and Furze Platt Junior have planted shrubs around the edge of the pond. Moreover, seating has been provided for visitors to enjoy the views and relax in the garden.
Inspiring generations
In a few years’ time Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Garden will mature and grow. The heart of the garden will remain a celebration of what Sir Nicholas achieved. We hope the memorial garden and Sir Nicholas’ memory will inspire future visitors to be kind and help others in their own way.
