The Museum is an independent charity and does not receive any public funding. We depend for our existence and development on Friends, Patrons, and Charitable Trusts, in addition to income from admission and events.

We are in the early stages of plans to complete the restoration of the ancient structure and its transformation into a modern museum, after the success of Phase I in 2008: contemporary galleries and spaces for education and events were inserted into the historic interior in an award-winning design by Dow Jones Architects.

This next phase will double the space for display of the permanent collection, 95% of which is in store, and create extra space for our schools and community outreach work, in addition to a bigger café, and modern visitor services. At the core of the project is an aspiration to create the country’s first archive of garden and landscape design. Finally, we are in discussions with The Ashmolean Museum to recreate “Tradescant’s Ark” through the loan of the objects in Tradescant’s collection at Lambeth which were bequeathed to his neighbour, Elias Ashmole.

We are developing ideas on shared activities and programmes with three historic garden charities: the Garden History Society, the Association of Garden Trusts, and Parks and Gardens UK. We hope that the Museum will become a cause with a national resonance, celebrating and exploring the design, history, and art of gardens - and their benefits to people and society. 

We have submitted an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for two-thirds of the cost of this major project which will cost a total of over £5 million.  We must raise over £2 million pounds ourselves over the next three years.  In the three months since the launch of the appeal we have received just over £100,000. It is a great start but every penny counts.

We imagine the completion of the contemporary interior of wooden structures freestanding within the church, and two extensions: to cover in a yard between the Museum and Lambeth Palace and to erect a new wooden two-storey garden pavilion in the space between the knot garden and Lambeth Road. As sketched here, the new pavilion would double the size of the cafe and upstairs create a new space for education and community events, with a separate entrance from the churchyard or street.

If you are interested in donating to the Garden Museum Development Fund to help us with our good work you can donate via our Just Giving page.  Please follow this link and click on the One-off donation tab.