Volunteer and visit us
NOTE: Our Open Garden and volunteer gardening will be taking a break during December and January, resuming on Tuesday 4 February.
Come to our Open Garden, or volunteer with us, 10am – 4pm, every Tuesday, and on the third Saturday every month. Walk in our woodland and enjoy tea and biscuits in the garden. Families welcome. Just drop in.
Tuesday 4 February – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 11 February – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Saturday 15 February – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
Tuesday 18 February – Open Garden and Volunteer Gardening – 10am – 4pm
The garden house is available to book for parties and meetings
New memberships are available for the year ending 31st August 2025
A two-acre oasis of greenery in Islington, north London.
Over time, a herbaceous garden, an orchard, a pond, a series of vegetable terraces, a small meadow and an acre of woodland have all emerged from a railway embankment.
Under an agreement with Islington Council which owns the land, the volunteer-run Charity – Olden Community Garden – maintains the garden area, with the object to promote a community garden for the benefit of people living or working in the London Borough of Islington. Olden Garden gives local people opportunities for education and recreation, with the aim of increasing involvement in the community and reducing isolation.
A self-sustaining garden
We use harvested water, we compost all the green waste and create wildlife habitats from woody debris. There is a fruitful orchard and a flourishing vegetable garden.
Latest Posts
Everyone welcome – visit us for Open House Festival and family activities on Saturday 16th September
We are taking part in London’s Open House Festival on Saturday 16th September. Explore the garden, walk in the woodland, and join in our family activities.
Or try some volunteer gardening.
Everyone is welcome to visit at any time, 10am – 4pm.
Tea and cake will be available.
Butterfly garden activities
Little Explorers enjoyed an activities session, learning about plants and colourful butterflies and designing signage for our new butterfly garden, being created with funding from Groundwork’s Our Space Award
Everyone welcome – join us for family activities and Open Garden on Saturday 19th August
Like a butterfly!
Come along for our family activity. We will try butterfly spotting! Butterfly Conservation spotting sheets will help you identify the butterflies and day-flying moths.
Everyone is welcome to join in, any time 10am – 4pm.
Volunteer gardening tasks will be available.
Or visit for Open Garden and walk in the woodland – tea and biscuits provided
Thank you to Howden’s volunteers
Maria led an energetic group of volunteers from Howden’s Insurance who repositioned the collapsed sleepers along the path and cleared brambles in the orchard. Thank you to the BIG Alliance for arranging another wonderful group of volunteers.