Set within the beautiful Nene Valley, Rushden Lakes is a unique hub for the local area, focused around the Skew Bridge Ski Lake, which forms an integral part of the 270 hectare Nene Wetlands nature reserve.
Visitors to Rushden Lakes can shop, dine along the lakeside, take a canoe out on the water or hire a bike and take many of the trails which fork out from the Nene Wetlands Visitor Centre on site. The vision for the public realm at Garden Square stemmed from the idea of creating a verdant oasis in this corner of Rushden Lakes, giving visitors the opportunity to relax in a calm space surrounded by greenery.
“From the outset, Macgregor Smith were fully behind our vision for the project. Their enthusiasm, clear communication and extensive knowledge of the industry meant they were able to get the project from concept design to completion on site in just over 6 months”
The Crown Estate
The space encourages people to explore and interact with their surroundings and builds upon the unique character of Rushden Lakes. A natural play space creates an exciting opportunity for children to explore amongst giant ‘fallen’ oak logs and river boulders, which are so characteristic of the surrounding Nene Valley.
The ideas from the team at Macgregor Smith were imaginative and exciting, and embraced our vision to create a real green oasis within the Garden Square development.
The Crown Estate
Handmade brass leaves set into the floorscape mimic the fallen foliage from the surrounding riverside trees, with shade-tolerant planting including ferns, bugloss and anemones reinforcing the character of this verdant ‘dell’. Insect and bird habitats nestled in the trees boost the habitat provision for locally important species.
The design team have continued to care for the project long after formal completion, providing oversight to ensure Garden Square provides a long lasting legacy.
The Crown Estate
Meet the designers, innovators and specialists who brought Rushden Lake’s story to life…
