Large parts of iconic gardens set to close so they can be rejuvenated

Work to transform the Dane John Gardens will get underway in earnest on Monday (31 March).

Contractors will begin to close off all the lawned areas of the Canterbury city centre park which will remain out of bounds until December.

The path around the edge of the gardens, which runs close to people’s homes, will stay open so people can get from one end to the other along with the public toilets.

The children’s play area will remain accessible via the mound from the city wall.

The work comes after the council was awarded £19.9m by the Government for its bid, Connected Canterbury: Unlocking the Tales of England.

The money is being used to transform a whole host of Canterbury’s public spaces and heritage to a standard that reflects its status as an international visitor destination and World Heritage Site.

Head of Digital, Data and Improvement Caroline Marlow, who is leading the project, said: “We’re sorry for any inconvenience the work will cause but we’re convinced it really will be worth it.

“The full closure is needed for a couple of reasons. We are working as quickly as possible, so the contractor needs the ability to use the space as and when needed.

“Plus, if you dig anywhere in Canterbury, you are bound to find important historical artefacts which means the contractor may need to move its workforce at short notice.

“We hope reopening in December is a worst-case scenario and if we can make things happen faster, we will.”

The council is in discussions with the owner of the Don Juan cafe to find ways to help the business during the disruption.

The current cafe, which is outdated and coming to the end of its life, will be demolished as part of the scheme and will be replaced with a new building in a similar style to the current one.

The work in the Dane John will include:

• resurfacing all the pathways and creating a flexible surface strip either side of the main avenue to enable the tree roots to move and grow
• replacing lost trees in the avenue
• reducing the shrubs and vegetation to reveal the mound and the views across the garden
• returning the flower beds to reflect the original shape in the Victorian garden and planting with perennial shrubs
• adding more picnic tables by the monument
• refurbishing the mound to improve views and installing a set of steps to the monument to reduce erosion of the Scheduled Monument
• refurbishing, and replacing where necessary, historic streetlights through the garden and on the city wall
• adding lighting to highlight heritage features
• installing interpretation panels to tell the story of the garden
• putting in new seating around the Second World War shelters with steps up to the city wall
• planting perennial wildflower meadows on the slope up to the city wall and on the verge between the city wall and the ring road
• resurfacing the city wall and adding planting beds to the area above the bus station
• refurbishing or replacing railings, gates, benches and other street furniture

For more information on the projects being paid for by the government, visit canterbury.gov.uk/luf.

Published: 25 March 2025