Hamilton Gardens enthusiasts now have the opportunity to support the completion of its Medieval Garden, the next new time-travel experience at the city’s premier visitor attraction.

A fundraising campaign to raise $300,000 needed to complete the new themed space has been launched by Momentum Waikato, the region’s community foundation.

The design of the Medieval Garden will be based on the ruins of the St John of the Hermits Monastery in Sicily, made up of a ‘Cloister Garth’ for prayer and meditation and an ‘Apothecary Garden’ for growing medicinal herbs and healing plants.

Peter Sergel, the founding director and visionary designer of Hamilton Gardens, says each of its existing and planned gardens represents a major transformation point in history, with the Medieval Garden representing the spread of Christianity.

“Three particular aspects will be reflected in the Medieval Garden, one is the piety, study and prayer, second was protection and looking after strangers, and the third was superstition, particularly around geometry and maths and numbers.”

“The Medieval world has inspired all sorts of fiction, including science fiction films, because it was a strange brutal world with all sorts of magic and mystery,” says Sergel.

The monastery spaces of the Medieval Garden will ultimately be one of four gardens on site reflecting the philosophies of the world’s major religions, the others being Islam via the Indian Char Bagh Garden, Buddhism via the Japanese Garden, and Hinduism via the planned Vedic Garden.

Momentum Waikato Chief Executive Simon Wickham says the Medieval Garden will be another exciting space that will further add to the world-class experience of Hamilton Gardens.

“If you’ve been visiting Hamilton Gardens over the years you’ll have a growing sense of wonder as each new fascinating space is added, it really is becoming everywhere you want to visit all in one place.

“The Medieval Garden is the next step towards Peter Sergel’s ultimate vision, as outlined in his new book The Time Traveller’s Guide to Hamilton Gardens. To keep up the momentum of the Gardens development, donations of any size towards its completion are most welcome,” says Wickham.

Donations towards the completion of the Medieval Garden can be made at momentumwaikato.nz/hamiltongardens.

This webpage has more information about the campaign, including a video featuring Peter Sergel.

Information on the wider Hamilton Gardens development can be found at hamiltongardens.co.nz/about-us/new-gardens-and-development-projects.

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