We have restored the gardens in Castle Wood and Jack Wood, and are now maintaining them - aiming to improve biodiversity and climate resilience. We are working closely on this with the Royal Borough of Greenwich's Parks & Open Spaces Dept.

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Many visitors to the woods have fond memories of the beautiful rose gardens, which mark the sites of the demolished Castlewood (near Severndroog Castle) and Jackwood houses. The gardens have long provided tranquil and open spaces in the heart of the ancient woodland.

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The Friends of Oxleas Woodlands (FOW) were sad to find that the roses in the historic rose gardens in Castle Wood had been removed, leaving the much-loved area looking bare and covered in weeds. The volunteers were determined to restore this area back to its former beauty, drawing on the original planting scheme. With contributions from supporters we purchased and planted 265 roses. In 2020 we installed an information board which includes information about the varieties of roses planted, the history of the woods, the Friends of Oxleas Woodlands and the names of donors.

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In 2024 we took on the replanting of Jackwood House Garden. Previously a formal flower garden with some roses, we have replanted this as a wildlife friendly garden. This was made possible by a grant from the National Grid and with the support of many community members including schools and local charities and crafts people. We officially opened the garden in June 2025.

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Our focus now is to stop the deterioration of Jackwood Terrace garden.

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Check our the 2026 dates below, or email us for details.
We have a mixture of Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to allow as many volunteers as possible to participate. Gardening volunteers meet at 10am on weekend dates, and usually 2pm on Friday dates. 

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Please email oxleas.volunteers@gmail.com for more information - especially as the weather can affect dates and times.