The Physic Garden


A physic garden is a natural pharmacy: A garden full of medicinal herbs to cure a range of illnesses and complaints. The Westgate parks Physic Garden was originally funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the project was designed and planned in partnership with Simon Langton Girls School in Canterbury.


The design included the installation of raised beds each one representing different parts of the body and featuring the plants used to treat each area. The Simon Langton Girls School also designed and created mosaic plaques to name each bed. The garden also featured a lavender maze the garden was installed in 2015.


The Friends of Westgate parks maintain the gardens on a regular basis and in 2021 it was decided that the garden needed some major improvements. The Lavender maze was cleared out and replanted as some of the original plants had suffered significant damage and were becoming old and woody, It was replanted with Hidcote Lavender.


The border near the wall was planted with Cotoneaster as previous shrubs had been damaged and had to be removed.


The beds of the physic garden were cleared as they had become too dense and some of the original plants had been overrun, each bed is going to be replanted over the course of this year.


Sadly, the once beautiful mosaics has been damaged and were beyond repair so the decision was made to replace the signage. The new signs were designed by the Friends of Westgate parks and they contain references to the plants and images of the original mosaics. These were installed in January 2022 and will hopefully be more durable


Physic Garden
Westgate Parks Physic Garden and Lavender Maze

Physic Garden
Raised Beds in the Physic Garden


Education programs

Available related education programs include river and bat walks, archaeological digs, and forest school activities for children and adults.

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Canterbury Festival

This year's Canterbury Festival runs from 26th September to 4th November 2023. There's walks, talks, art, performance, music & much more.

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Help the Westgate Friends

We urgently need new volunteers to help maintain the physic garden, assist with collecting litter and also need new trustees – and funds to keep up our activities.

Email us at Westgate Parks friends