The Mayor of London has commissioned the Museum of Walking to run a walkshop that covers three historic estates where mulberry trees were grown (and where some still survive): Belair, Brockwell Parks & Myatt’s Fields. The route will include a pop in to Dulwich Picture Gallery‘s garden (in which there is a mulberry - although looking somewhat forlorn).
Brockwell Park
The photography walkshop (workshop-on-foot) and discovery trail across the beautiful historic grounds of three south London grand estates will be lead by Peter Coles, creator of Morus Londinium. Peter is an urban nature writer and photographer, champion of the mulberry, has been co-creating intriguing Stalking Trees walkshops, in which participants get to know a thing or two about trees and how to photograph them. Peter is also working with the Conservation Foundation to build awareness of the history of and to conserve London’s mulberries. Dip into the mulberry’s intriguing history.
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Since Roman times mulberries have been planted in London for their delicious fruit and medicinal virtues. The story behind the mulberry tree at Brockwell Park began when a wealthy Ludgate Hill glass merchant called John Blades bought the land in 1807 and developed Brockwell Hall as his private estate, on the site of a previous Tudor building. The walled garden in which there’s a black mulberry, was originally its kitchen garden. This Tudor connection inevitably raises hopes that the tree could have a much older pedigree, especially as there was once a medieval monastery (owned by St Thomas’s Hospital) on the original estate.
The mulberry tree at Dulwich Picture Gallery is in the traditional place - on a lawn. However, there is not an exact date for the Picture Gallery mulberry, though it looks very ancient, mainly because it has a hollow trunk and is propped up with a stake. On looking more closely you will see that the trunk has been filled in with concrete, this was an old practice used to stabilize the tree.
The walk will be a very interesting one and is part of the National Park City Week (21-29 July). Peter Coles will be leading a walk from West Dulwich rail station at 3.00pm on Sunday 29 July. The walkshop is free, but like all these things, will book up quickly, so please make your booking a priority.
Please note that part of the journey will include a short train ride - please bring a contactless payment card or oyster card.
Participants to bring their own cameras.
Suitable for adults and accompanied children 12+
