Planting on the Albert roundabout

As part of their Fixing the Link initiative, Colchester City Council asked us to design a planting scheme for the Albert roundabout, a prominent feature found along the walk from the train station into the city.

Fixing the Link

The Fixing the Link initiative, initially inspired by Colchester's historical ties to elephants, includes public art and wayfinding improvements along the one-mile route from Colchester train station to the city centre. The project not only aims to make the city more attractive but also encourages people to walk from the train station to the city centre more often.

Interpretation board near the roundabout

Sand planting

The topsoil on the roundabout was replaced with sand sourced from a local quarry, preventing the introduction of weed seeds while creating a low-nutrient growing medium suited to drought-tolerant plants that naturally thrive in poor soils.

The specially selected drought-tolerant planting scheme will require very little watering or maintenance, helping to reduce long-term management costs. The plants have also been chosen for the benefits they provide to wildlife. In addition, habitat mounds have been added to the roundabout to encourage a diverse range of insects to establish and flourish there.

2025 plant development

May 2025

June 2025

July 2025

September 2025

2026 plant development

May 2026

Other local projects

The design, using sand as a substrate, is similar to the Chattowood scheme implemented by the team on our neighbouring housing development which has been in place since April 2022.

Find out more- Chattowood

Chattowood- June 2024

The topsoil removed from the roundabout has found a new home in the new Meanwhile Garden at Firstsite. The garden, also created by the Beth Chatto team, was designed and planted at no cost to the community.

Find out more- Meanwhile Garden

Right plant, right place

Around 2,800 plants from 60 different genera were carefully chosen for this space. Each one selected to thrive in the free draining, low nutrient substrate, to offer interest and texture throughout the seasons, to keep maintenance low, and to support wildlife.

Full plant list

Habitat mounds

To encourage as many insects as possible to feed, breed and take shelter on the site, eight circular habitat mounds have been incorporated into the design. Constructed using crushed reclaimed building waste, these mounds provide valuable nesting opportunities for a wide variety of insects.

Since their creation, the sand and rubble habitats at Chattowood and the Meanwhile Garden have proved to be ideal nesting sites for numerous insect species. By including similar features on the roundabout, we hope to replicate this success and further enhance the site's value for wildlife.

Habitat mounds on the roundabout