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Our work at Saltram
Saltram is an ever-evolving estate where history and nature are actively preserved and celebrated. While recent conservation efforts, such as the restoration of the Orange Grove, have helped maintain the estate’s heritage, our work continues to grow. In 2023, we secured £240,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, marking the start of our ambitious Future Saltram project. Over the next eighteen months, we will expand the estate's accessible green spaces and enhance community engagement with nature, ensuring that Saltram remains a place for everyone to enjoy, now and for generations to come.
Future Saltram - what the next 10 years look like
In July 2023, Saltram was granted £240,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for development phase works, which has led to the testing and trialling of numerous capital and activity projects at the estate.
This first phase is part of our much wider Future Saltram project. Over the next eighteen months, we will be doubling the amount of free-to-access country park at Saltram. Spanning 32 hectares (79 acres) — equivalent to 45 football pitches — on the eastern side of the 213 hectare (528 acre) estate, this ambitious project aims to create a vibrant, accessible green space for community wellbeing and engagement, as well as providing a boost for nature.
Over the next 10 years, we want to make Saltram a place which welcomes everyone and where the communities of Plymouth can find meaningful connections to history, heritage and nature. Stay up to date on our Future Saltram project here.
Conserving the Orange Grove
In 2021 we completed a project to conserve the beautiful Orange Grove in the garden here. Despite work unexpectedly grinding to a halt during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, the much-needed conservation to the central pond kicked back up and was completed in spring 2021.
Work to conserve the Orange Grove in the garden at Saltram was forced to pause in March 2020 when staff were sent home during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Fortunately, funding was found to revive the project and the project was completed one year later in spring 2021. The Orange Grove is looking the best it has in a long time and once again it’s the beautiful, secluded space at the heart of the garden.
What was the problem?
The beds surrounding the Orange Grove had actually improved in recent years. However, its central pond was in dire need of conserving. Several leaks were found in the pond liner, due to the fact it had perished over time.
The central fountain was also no longer working and the coping stones around the pond edge needed to be reset and repointed. Problems with poor draining and weeds growing through the gravel were caused by the condition of the subsurface too.
What work was carried out?
In order to repair the pond lining, a thin layer of concrete was put down over the old lining. Then, a thick layer of fibreglass was laid over the top to create a new, durable lining that should last many years.
While the concrete was still curing, all the ducting and pipework for the pond’s pump, filter and fountain were installed. Plus, the coping stones around the pond edge were reset, while keeping them in their original location.
Improving pathways and plants
New gravel was added to existing paths surrounding the pond, which were in a poor condition. Existing plants were rearranged, new plants were added and the citrus planters and benches were given a fresh lick of paint.
Find out more about the conservation work that took place in this video on Saltram’s Orange Grove, presented by the Head Gardener Martin.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, the garden team hope to focus their conservation efforts on a different part of the garden each year. Check back to see what other projects we undertake on the Saltram estate.
Thank you
With your ongoing support, we're able to continue our vital conservation work. Thank you for helping to protect these special places.
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