The giant pin-hole camera will be operational in the former summer house/aviary, giving the chance to see live images of the gardens, projected through the pin-hole. A brief outline will be given of liquorice growing in the Valley Gardens.

Visit the Valley Gardens with planted Rose Gardens, children’s playground and unique tree carvings. The Friarwood Valley Gardens is a public park and is a Grade II listed Historic Park: on the site of a medieval Dominican Friary and liquorice cultivation, it became a public park in 1950.

The former aviary building in Valley Gardens has been around since at least 1840 and was built in the Georgian period. Former uses of the aviary include it reputedly being used as a male card school retreat and as a packing shed for the on site market gardens.

A brief history will be given of liquorice growing and the summerhouse in the Valley Gardens by Dr Colin White; then Bob Clayden, Pinhole Wizard, will give a hands-on demonstration of the pinhole camera in this remarkable building.

This free event is part of the Heritage Open Day