As Dagenham’s 19th century farmlands developed into the modern suburb it is today, Stoneford Garden has endured as a little green oasis. Previously under the consistent stewardship of one family, the property has taken on secret gardenesque qualities within the local imagination. 

Now unlocked for community use, our work with the National Trust sets out to ask how this formerly private space can best be made open and relevant to the community today. 

Inspired by the idiosyncratic charms of the existing garden, the project sets out to do more with less – providing the necessary infrastructure to make the garden accessible and usable, without losing its magical qualities.  

Its heritage as a domestic, productive garden hints at a new potential for city-living within the area, and foregrounds questions around food growing, biodiversity, climate resilience and the need for green spaces to support wellbeing, reflection, and repair.