Saint Peter’s Memorial Garden – Rejuvenate, Remember, Reflect
Awarded: £75,000
Region: Central
Chalfont St Peter Parish Council is a Parish Council in Buckinghamshire.
The project provided a new memorial garden which is located in Saint Peter’s Garden in Chalfont St Peter.
The memorial garden has been designed to include a line of cherry trees, a formal memorial area, a natural amphitheatre and wildflowers. This will provide a haven for solace and remembrance, which is welcoming and a place to reconnect with nature. The amphitheatre will be used for music and choral recitals and will provide opportunities for future projects, such as sharing stories about the history of the village. The garden is now accessible to all via new pathways, benches have been installed to encourage visitors to pause and rest, and new subtle lighting helps to create a calming environment.
The project has increased the community’s awareness of the garden, which has improved safety for residents who are now able to walk away from the busy road from the bottom of the main high street to the top. There has been an increase in residents using the new pathways through the garden, which are also wheelchair accessible, and the garden has been added to the heritage plaque walk, which is a popular trail through the village. The garden is also now used as a venue for community events in the village.
Supporting communities and the environment to thrive
The project has also provided benefits to the local environment and wildlife through the installation of bird and bat boxes which have been built by children from a local school. Trees, hedges and wildflowers have also been planted. The project has improved 2,000 square metres of open space, planted 25 metres of hedgerow and includes a cherry walk of 12 trees along the entrance path.
“The project has enabled us to provide a beautiful memorial garden in the heart of our village and at the same time provide a secluded haven for wildlife and a space for quiet reflection or walking in a safe natural environment. HS2 traffic has led to increased pollution in the village and the opening up of this garden has given residents the opportunity to minimise the effects of this with its alternative pathways through the centre of the village via the garden.”
Chalfont St Peter Parish Council
