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22nd Sep 2023

London’s ‘worst street’ gets transformed into urban jungle

Jack Peat

The ‘Inspired by the Wild’ project looks to bring a slice of the countryside to the Big Smoke

A street in Dalston known to its residents as ‘the worst street in London’ has undergone a nature-fuelled rejuvenation in a bid to bring a slice of the countryside to the backstreets of the Big Smoke.

The new project, led by Royal Horticultural Society award-winning landscape designer Tom Massey, took place on Miller’s Terrace in the East End, where for almost a decade, the street’s residents have been campaigning for funding to breathe new life into the road and return a sense of pride to the local community.

A timely intervention from Chase Distillery and Tom have transformed this forgotten road into a green haven for residents, and sees the street packed with over 350 resilient plants and trees that’ll stand the test of time, offering a vibrant and relaxing garden space for the 100+ residents that live there.

The launch comes as data shows 87 per cent of Brits wish they had more green space in their local area, and one-third feel detached from nature living in a city.

A quarter of Brits also say they spend more time than they’d like indoors due to a lack of local green spaces.

Chase gin and vodka was born in the Herefordshire countryside, and its range of flavours are inspired by the surrounding area.

In a nod to this, the Miller’s Terrace rejuvenation also sees a selection of botanical foraging plants dotted throughout the street, allowing residents to make the most of the newfound greenery surrounding them, bringing a slice of the countryside to their city.

Highlighting the importance of nature amidst fast-paced city, new research has shown that according to city-dwelling Brits, 96 per cent believe that being outdoors and surrounded by nature improves their wellbeing and 87 per cent wish they had more green space in their city.

Almost 9 in 10 of those surveyed (89 per cent) said nature and being outdoors made them feel more inspired.

Despite this, only 4 in 10 Brits said they were proud of the way their local area looked.4

Amadeo Martini, a resident on Miller’s Terrace said, “We’re a close-knit community, and for the past eight years, we’ve been desperately trying to repair our run-down street and bring a sense of pride back to our road.

“Sadly, we’ve been unable to secure the resources needed to fix the street but Chase, Tom and TINIE have turned things around. We’re a green-fingered bunch and now we can realise our dream of having a street we can all be proud of and enjoy for years to come.”

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