Who We Are
Welcome to the Land of Enchantment – Home to Incredible Edible Knowsley
This beautiful space is based in Court Hey Park, once home to the National Wildflower Centre.
It was originally the walled garden of the Gladstone Estate, making it a place rich in history.
Our stone circle is built using the stones that once anchored the world’s first steam locomotive,
The Rocket.
This place is special. When you walk through the gates, you feel your problems fade away.
It brings peace and comfort to many people. I believe it is magical, deeply spiritual,
and that the land spirits are very much alive here.
Incredible Edible Knowsley arrived here in 2019. When we first began working on the land,
it had been left neglected for several years. The gardens were overgrown and filled with
rubbish following years of vandalism and break-ins.
We began clearing the site with just a handful of volunteers. Before long, more and more
people joined us. Thanks to the incredible support of local residents, Knowsley Council,
councillors, businesses, and countless volunteers, we have transformed this once-forgotten
space into the beautiful, tranquil place now known as The Land of Enchantment.
Incredible Edible Knowsley is a community project that grows food with the community,
for the community. The food we grow is donated back into the local community.
Our Aims
- Reduce food poverty
- Reduce isolation and loneliness
- Improve health and wellbeing
- Improve the environment
- Educate and inspire
While our journey began by growing food, over the past seven years we have listened to
our community and expanded our support to meet changing needs while creating sustainable
ways to continue helping local people.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we distributed seedlings throughout the Liverpool City Region,
enabling people to grow food at home, in schools, mental health units, supported
accommodation and many other community groups. The demand was overwhelming, so we continue
this programme every Spring and Summer.
We also offer workshops that teach people how to grow food from soil to fork,
helping people gain confidence in growing their own produce.
As we donated increasing amounts of fresh food, we realised many families were struggling
to access affordable groceries. In response, we established our Community Food Club.
Today, around 120 people use the food club within just five hours of opening every Friday,
with over 200 visitors regularly spending time on site.
We provide therapeutic horticulture for adults with additional needs, educational sessions
for schools and young people, and public workshops throughout the year.
We also discovered that many people weren’t sure how to make the most of fresh produce.
We now offer practical workshops covering fermentation, pickling, chutney making, jam making,
and food preservation techniques that can extend shelf life for months—or even years.
Alongside this, we teach the health benefits of fresh food, explaining which nutrients
support different parts of the body and how healthy eating can improve wellbeing.
Our Workshops
- Herbal workshops – understanding medicinal herbs and how to use them
- Nutritional workshops – exploring the health benefits of food
- Growing from Soil to Fork – seed sowing, transplanting, growing, harvesting and seasonal preparation
- Meditation sessions
- Drumming sessions
- Breathwork sessions
Our Volunteers
We are a volunteer-led organisation. While we have a small number of staff, the vast majority of our work is made possible by volunteers who generously give their time to support both us and the wider community. Volunteers come from all walks of life, including local residents and businesses. Corporate volunteer days have helped us install electricity across the site, improve watering systems, build pathways and ramps, repair buildings and complete countless other improvements that simply wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Over the years, we have grown into far more than a food-growing project—we have become a thriving community.Our Next Chapter
Our next step is creating sustainable income that allows us to continue supporting our growing community for many years to come. Together with our community, we have learned that true healing comes from nurturing the mind, body and spirit. This understanding has led us to develop the spiritual side of our project. We have created a beautiful Apothecary and Holistic Shop, with every penny of profit being reinvested directly back into Incredible Edible Knowsley to support our community. Along the way, we’ve met wonderful people seeking wellbeing, healing and personal growth. Following our herbal workshops, we established our Spiritual Garden. Every Tuesday and Friday we light the spiritual fires, prepare the community altar (open to everyone, regardless of faith or belief), and host breathwork, drumming, mindfulness and guided meditation sessions. Our Spiritual Garden remains open throughout Fridays, providing a peaceful space for reflection. Some visitors simply enjoy the tranquillity, while others write down things they wish to let go of before placing them into the fire, or leave written wishes for the future.Who We Are
We are a community project that works with the community, includes the community, and brings people together to support one another. Together, we are creating something truly magical.I feel so privileged to be a part of this—to see people come together, to see people smiling, supporting one another, just as it should be. You simply can’t put a price on that.