The Gibberd Garden

A beautiful garden with interesting sculptures. In Harlow, Essex.
I went to this garden as a parent helper on a school trip in a class full of 8 year olds and if you live nearby I would recommend it as part of an art study about sculpture. And with kids entrance free with adults, and adults only costing £4, I’d definitely take the kids there if I hadn’t been already. The gardens are lovely and peaceful and I would’ve loved more time just to enjoy them.
My only caution would be – keep the groups of children small. I only had six, but one of them kept finding another little sod from another group and they’d go running off together. When kids are usually encouraged to run around in parks and let off steam, and when there are plenty of places to hide behind, it made things a bit tricky. But most of them were old enough to appreciate most of the sculptures I think! Obviously the ones with the boobs and the bum got the most attention. The only thing I would say; is that I didn’t think the majority of them were all that good – I would’ve liked to see a few more decent pieces of modern art amongst the things that had clearly been there a while. There was nothing there that I looked at and thought, Wow that looks really good; so don’t go if you’re looking for amazing sculptures or inspiration for your garden. But definitely go there to visit a lovely garden. The facilities were all good and clean, and the lady who greeted us was kind and friendly. For more information have a look at: http://www.gardens-guide.com/fr_blank.htm?http://www.gardens-guide.com/gardenpages/_0078.htm