The Location of the Dye Garden

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The dye garden is located within Rosamund Community Garden, a wildlife garden on Pewley Down in Guildford that is dedicated to community use, biodiversity, and land stewardship. The garden is managed by garden manager Clare Millington and is supported by a strong network of volunteers who care for the land throughout the seasons.

Rosamund Community Garden exists because of Rosamund Alberton, who owned the land and raised her family on Pewley Down. She was a passionate advocate for wildlife gardening and the protection of green belts, and when she passed away she asked her son and daughter to keep the land for the community and wildlife, rather than sell it. Today, the land is cared for by Rosamund Community Garden in partnership with Surrey Wildlife Trust, ensuring it remains a protected and shared green space.

Within this setting, the dye garden has become a welcoming and collaborative space for learning and making. Over the past year, the project has been shared with Duke of Edinburgh Award students, members of Zero Carbon Guildford, and the wider garden community. Together, we practise land stewardship, grow and harvest dye plants, and research natural dyeing methods through hands-on workshops and dye garden tours.

Looking ahead to 2026, the dye garden will host an expanded programme of workshops, with the aim of sharing knowledge in regenerative fashion practices beyond the immediate community. These sessions will be open to educational and professional sectors interested in learning more about natural dyeing, sustainable material practices, and alternative approaches to fashion grounded in place and ecology.