Works Across the Estate

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We are giving our site some TLC during 2023. It’s a really exciting time, but does mean that some areas will be inaccessible at various times.

When you’re visiting us please follow signs and keep to designated routes, and enjoy your visit.

Pathways

We are upgrading the pathways around our site, and some routes around the Gardens may be inaccessible while this takes place. The works may also be noisy during these times, and there will be increased traffic on site with the contractors.

During the period of the works it may be necessary to close some paths or areas of the Gardens, but we will do our best to ensure as little disruption as possible.

Some work has been delayed due to poor weather.

Updates

There is no Blue Badge Parking until Thursday 6 April.

Thursday 30 March and Friday 31 March:

The Bandstand Terrace will be resurfaced which means that the following will be closed.

  • Bandstand Terrace
  • Horniman Drive gates
  • Path to Horniman Drive
  • Butterfly House
  • Animal Walk
  • Blue Badge Parking
  • Gardens toilets
  • The Dutch Barn picnic area
  • The Gardens above the Bandstand including the South Downs Meadow

Visitors who usually use Horniman Drive gates can enter the Gardens from the path from Westwood Park marked with a star on the map below, and access the Museum by walking past the Sunken Gardens.

Horniman gardens map shoing many paths closed around the Bandstand and Horniman drive

Monday 3 April:

The Horniman Drive path and gate will be resurfaced which means that the following will be closed.

  • Horniman Drive gates
  • Path to Horniman Drive
  • Blue Badge Parking
  • The Dutch Barn picnic area
  • The Gardens above the Bandstand including the South Downs Meadow

Visitors who usually use Horniman Drive gates can enter the Gardens from the path from Westwood Park marked with a star on the map above, and access the Museum by walking past the Sunken Gardens.

These dates may be subject to last minute changes. Please follow signage in the Gardens when you visit.

All the work is due to be completed in April 2023.

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience and will communicate any disruptions as soon as we can on this page.

Conservatory

The Horniman Conservatory will be closed until mid April 2023 for refurbishment work. This is the second stage of refurbishment on this Grade II listed building, with the first stage taking place in 2017.

The work includes re-glazing the roof and upper fish scales, and repainting the frame. Find out more about the work, and about the conservatory itself.

Gardens

The Sunken Gardens are closed while we repair some of the masonry.

The pond in our Sunken Gardens is much beloved, but very shallow. This makes it very hard for plants and wildlife to survive in it, and means it requires having the water topped up frequently.

The pond is undergoing work to make it deeper, so that we can grow a wider range of plants and support a much more biodiverse range of species.

The work is going on until March 2023.

Whilst the work is going on, the area will be partially inaccessible, and visitors will not be able to walk all the way around the perimeter of the Sunken Gardens beds.

Dates

Currently active