The Start of a New Green Chapter for Nethergate: Landscape Design , Suffolk , eco playground

Nethergate Brewery Expansion: Trees Arrive as New Beer Garden & Eco Play Space Take Shape

The transformation of Nethergate Brewery has officially begun. With construction underway and the first 18 specimen trees now delivered to site, the vision for a fully reimagined outdoor experience — complete with a nature-led beer garden and eco-focused playground — is becoming real.

As lead landscape designer for the expansion, Studio Stour is shaping the entire exterior environment, ensuring every space feels grounded in Suffolk’s landscape, sustainable in its approach, and welcoming for the thousands of visitors who enjoy Nethergate each year.

A Brewery Already Rooted in Sustainability

One of the things that makes this project so exciting is Nethergate’s commitment to environmental responsibility. The brewery already runs extensive solar arrays across its roof, and the new expansion strengthens this ethos — creating a landscape that works with nature, not against it.

The outdoor redesign builds on that strong foundation.

The First Trees Arrive — And the Landscape Shifts

There’s always a moment when a project moves from concept to reality. At Nethergate, that moment came this week as we positioned the first batch of trees across the field.

To help visualise the scale and layout, we marked each location using empty beer barrels — a fitting and surprisingly effective way to plot out the future beer garden and play zones.

These trees will provide:

• structure for the new beer garden

• natural boundaries around the eco play space

• shade, screening, and seasonal interest

• strong sightlines toward the new taproom building

• long-term biodiversity benefits for the site

It’s amazing how placing trees can immediately shift the atmosphere.

Visualising the Future

Our landscape masterplan will support this vision through:

• structured tree planting

• wildflower and pollinator-friendly areas

• meadow pathways

• natural play features

• accessible seating and social pockets

• sustainable material choices

• low-maintenance, high-impact planting schemes

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The goal is simple

Create a place people want to spend time in — morning coffee, family afternoons, long summer evenings, or seasonal events.