Berkhamsted’s Rectory Lane Cemetery has been voted as one of the top 10 Green Flag spaces in the UK on the project’s 10th anniversary.
Members of the public voted for their favourite green spaces and 10 were chosen as winners of the People’s Choice Award. Seven of these were large, council-run parks, making the award for the three-acre volunteer-run cemetery even more remarkable.
The Rectory Lane Cemetery Project was launched in 2014 to renovate the previously neglected space for the benefit of the local community.
The 2024 Green Flag Award judge said: “Many land managers and teams could learn a lot from this space, in terms of design process to suit a space, being careful about the details and sharing the enjoyment. Berkhamsted is a very privileged area but there are still lessons to be learned from this stunning green space.
“[It’s] extremely inviting. Evidently much loved by those seeking a quiet and inspiring space… wonderfully cared for.”
The transformation of the cemetery at St Peter’s Church has won multiple Green Flag Awards, Landscape Institute Awards and a Berkhamsted Citizens Association Environment Award.
Kate Campbell, the cemetery’s ranger, said: “It is recognition for all the hard work and volunteer effort that makes it a lovely place to visit.
“I believe that it contributes to the sense of Berkhamsted being a vibrant town, with a thriving, engaged community, interested in current services but also looking after its heritage and the wellbeing of its residents – part of the mix which makes it a desirable place to live.”
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