The History of the Secret Garden, Glenfield Hospital

Abstract

The article researches the history of the Secret Garden and Leicester Frith House, which is based at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester. The Secret Garden aims to restore a Victorian original walled kitchen garden to provide a therapeutic environment for both patients and staff of the hospital. It has never been more important have outdoor space. The Coronavirus Pandemic has highlighted how being outdoors allows communities of people to relax, recharge, recover and have space to think. This article expresses the Secret Garden Project’s wider aim of serving the local community with an area to unwind, learn and develop skills. Divided into two sections, the article begins by considering the medical history, exploring how the building developments reflect this type of history at the Frith. The second section focusses on the health benefits of having a garden environment within a hospital setting. Overall, this article will support the project by heightening the importance of the garden through both its history and its health benefits, helping contribute to the restoration and future developments of the garden.