The WaterAid Gold medal-winning garden from this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show is being relocated to the Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester.

The garden, designed by duo Tom Massey and Je Ahn, will stand at the entrance of the Victorian-era Grade II listed steel viaduct in the heart of Manchester, which was opened as a sky park by the National Trust in 2022.

WaterAid Garden designers, Je Ahn, left and Tom Massey, right, in the garden at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Credit: WaterAid/ Fiona Hanson

Almost one in ten people globally do not have access to clean water close to home – a reality being exacerbated by climate change – while 90% of all natural disasters are water-related.

“The climate crisis is a water crisis, with more frequent and extreme floods polluting water sources and droughts drying up springs”, says Tim Wainwright, chief executive of WaterAid.

Going on to say the garden’s relocation to the Castlefield Viaduct will “enable more people to visit the garden and be inspired to use water sustainably and learn about the crucial role of rainwater.”

National Trust director of gardens and parklands, Andy Jasper adds that the introduction of the garden at the sky park marks a “huge milestone in the [organisation’s] efforts to create a vibrant urban horticultural oasis in the heart of Mancehster.”

Relocation of The WaterAid Garden to Castlefield Viaduct is intended to begin in October this year, with construction commencing in February 2025, and the welcoming of visitors in summer 2025.

Water conservation has become of increasing importance, shown in part by its inclusion at the main stages of RHS Chelsea and BBC Gardeners’ World Live.

Garden designer, Tom Massey, one of the designers behind the award-winning garden, expresses his excitement at the relocation, saying he “hopes it will make people think about sustainability and biodiversity in their own gardens, how they use water, and the types of plants that are resilient in the face of climate change.”

Both the garden and its relocation were made possible thanks to support from the grant-making charity Project Giving Back.

Find out more about WaterAid at www.wateraid.org/uk