The Living Coast has published a news article on the 150th anniversary of Madeira Drive Green Wall.
Read it here:
https://thelivingcoast.org.uk/celebrate-the-150th-anniversary-of-the-madeira-drive-green-wall
green wall
Happy birthday to Madeira Drive Green Wall – the oldest, longest green wall in Europe! 150 years old this year.
Happy birthday to Madeira Drive Green Wall – the oldest, longest green wall in Europe! 150 years old this year.
Planted in 1872, the hundreds of Japanese spindle plants have grown to create a wall almost a mile long at Madeira Drive in Brighton & Hove. Today over 100 species of flowering plants can be seen growing here, along with a range of birds and other wildlife. In recognition of its importance, Madeira Drive Green Wall has been designed a Local Wildlife Site – the only one of its kind in the UK.
The green wall forms an integral part of the East Brighton seafront, and backdrop to the famous Madeira Terrace. The terrace, and green wall, both feature in a forthcoming film from LatestTV to celebrate this anniversary. The film will explore Brighton’s historic connection to the environment, the benefits for health and wellbeing, and the plans to restore and enhance Madeira Drive for the future.
Today, Linda Standing, volunteer with Portslade Green Gym, planted a baby Japanese spindle tree to celebrate the Green Wall anniversary. Green Gym volunteers have been working at Madeira Drive for 10 years, and are vital to the care and attention the green wall needs.
Building Green supports the work the Council are proposing as part of the restoration of Madeira Terrace. This will involve safeguarding and enhancing the green wall, as well as introducing other environmental habitat.
This proposal can be viewed in the planning application summary statement here – and you can comment using this form here.
The film below sets out what is planned.
We need your photos and videos! Work starts on film of Madeira Drive and the history of Brighton & Hove’s connection with nature
Filming starts this month on Madeira Drive, to tell the unique story of Brighton’s connection with nature.
The film is being made by James Farrell from Building Green and LatestTV, and will describe modern Brighton’s origins as a city founded on the sea – especially the link between sea-bathing and health. It will explore the fascinating history of the development of Madeira Drive – as place of Victorian invention, and a place to walk in nature, to see and be seen.
The film will also look ahead to the plans to restore and rejuvenate this neglected part of the city for the benefit of local residents, workers and visitors…and the nature environment we all depend on.
We are looking for good quality photos and video of Madeira Drive – especially wildlife on and around the green wall. It can be taken on a phone, or perhaps a camera. If you have anything please send a link to info@building-green.org.uk before the end of September.
Planning application finally lands for Madeira Terrace and green wall restoration – have your say
The Grade II* listed Madeira Terrace was closed to the public in 2012. Now, 10 years later, and on the 150th anniversary of the planting of the Madeira Drive Green Wall, the plans to restore a significant section of the terrace are available for consultation with the public.
Building Green supports the planning application, and has been representing the environment on the stakeholder panel that the Council has consulted over the last few years in the development of these proposals. In particular, we are pleased to see:
- recognition of the importance of the Madeira Drive Green Wall Local Wildlife Site, and the measures to protect the enhance it – especially the 150 year old Japanese spindle trees that support up to 100 other types of flowering plant and associated wildlife.
- the reinstatement of planted verges for landscape value, sustainable drainage and additional wildlife habitat
- the incorporation of planting to the upper walkway (Max’s Walk – see above), identified in Building Green’s original vision for the restored terraces.
- the inclusion of the whole length of extant green wall – to the top of Duke’s Mound – in the project scope.
- the ambition to restore the full former length of green wall towards the Aquarium end of Madeira Drive.
We are also excited to see that the first invertebrate survey of the green wall has been completed. The list includes some 50 species, including the ‘swollen thigh beetle’, ‘pouting woodlouse fly’ and ‘hummingbird hawkmoth’.
You can give your support and comments to the Council here before 16 September: https://planningapps.brighton-hove.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=RGI6KKDM0P900 or by searching the planning portal for application ref BH2022/02577.
In more detail, the proposals are:
Part Restoration of the Grade II* listed Madeira Terrace (Phase 1 – consisting of the 40 arches between the Royal Crescent Steps in the west to Shelter Hall in the east), erection of a new full height single car lift, general repairs to existing Shelter Hall Lift structure and operational upgrade to Shelter hall Lift car carriage and doors together with temporary means of access at deck level, new staircase from deck level linking with Madeira Drive, permanent planting, landscaping and seating at deck level, fixings for temporary seasonal canopies at deck level, cliff wall interventions and general repair (including physical works of protection for the Green Wall), works to laundry arch, and improvements to public realm and heritage setting upon Madeira Drive including removal of 22 existing parking spaces, provision of new planted verges, wayfinding signage, pedestrian crossings, cycle parking and associated drainage.
Work to start this week to maintain the Madeira Drive Green Wall at the Volks Workshop, Duke’s Mound
Building Green has been speaking to the Council and its contractors following the unfortunate cutting back of the green wall at the bottom of Duke’s Mound, near the Volks Workshop.
The event triggered an outpouring of concern from the public, a wreath-laying, and commitments to establish a management plan for the Local Wildlife Site.
Improvements to the road are to start shortly, so Council contractors will be sensitively pruning back the large fig tree that grows in this section and is currently spreading into the road. The idea is to train it up, not out! Building Green have been assured that the veteran Japanese spindle plants along this section will be encouraged to continue re-growing up the cliff.
We support this work and will continue to advise.
The Gym is back in town! Volunteers revisit the Madeira Drive green wall for the first time since the pandemic
Those amazing folk from Portslade Green Gym were at Madeira Drive for the first of this year’s visits to the green wall. They were last due on 5 March 2020, and we all know why that didn’t happen!
Doing their usual terrific work today, to cut back growth, ensuring the maintenance of the wildlife on the site, and protection of the historic Japanese spindle plants.
There were also good signs that the Building Green Babies – young spindle plants we grew from cuttings on site – are growing up.
One of the volunteers was saying how important this work is – not just from a wildlife point of view, but for the mental health of the team. Many of the volunteers are older, and live alone – being outdoors with their friends, doing something physical, is a joy – and something sorely missed during lockdown.
Our thanks to the Council team for cutting back along the path edge this week, to keep the pavement clear for pedestrians.
Next volunteer work day is 18 November. Come and say hello, or lend a hand.
Fabulous wildlife sighting along Madeira Drive Green Wall as a flock of swifts descend
It’s the first swift record for the Madeira Drive Green wall – and in style, as over 50 birds descended this evening to feed above and along Madeira Drive and Duke’s Mound.
Some birds were even flying a few feet above the beach, and along the sea.
As it was drizzly and overcast there were few people about to appreciate it, so here’s a couple of videos that capture something of the moment.
Latest TV piece on Madeira Drive green wall with Council apology and next steps
Know your birds – Ten feathered friends to look out for along the Madeira Drive Green Wall on International Dawn Chorus Day
There are over 100 types of flowering plant growing on the Madeira Drive Green Wall ‘Local Wildlife Site’.
And there are 10 types of bird that have been seen nesting, or feeding, in these plants.
See how many birds you can spot next time you’re down there…it’s a great time to visit as it’s breeding season and there should be lots of birdsong.
Here’s what to look for, and let us know if you can add to the list!
All photos used under creative commons licence.
Madeira Drive green wall update and what needs to be done next
The news of the cutting of the green wall has spread far and wide.
There have been multiple stories on The Argus, Brighton & Hove Independent, More Radio and BBC Sussex.
Most striking has been the outpouring of local concern and sadness at how the work was completed, an apology from The Council, and a memorial event yesterday (involving a minute’s silence and a wreath laying) organised by local people and members of Madeira Drive campaign groups.
Meanwhile, Building Green volunteers have replanted a section of the wall on Duke’s Mound, as part of our long term project to restore the wall to its former length.
Building Green awaits the report of what happened exactly, so we can ensure that all parties learn from this for the future.
However we do know that the cutting included a very large fig, several stools of Japanese spindle planted in 1872, and the removal of large specimens of Spanish gorse and Darwin’s barberry. A number of ferns have been exposed and died. This section of wall was used by dunnock, wren and blackbird.
We know from our coppicing trials elsewhere on the green wall, and from recent work in partnership with the Council to protect or translocate older plants, that with the right care and attention it can regrow. There are some signs this is already happening.
However, regular cutting back and trimming would have avoided this situation from developing in the first place. So, as next steps, we will be encouraging the Council to work with us and local people to:
- tidy and care for this section of wall now, with feeding, to maximise regrowth
- establish a management plan for the whole green wall
- set up budget and resources for regular maintenance, to ensure public access and safety along the pavement, optimum conditions for wildlife, and long term health of the green wall
- incorporate the full linear extent of the green wall into the ‘MT30’ project, which is looking at the restoration of Madeira Terrace.
Brighton & Hove Building Green 