For this special visit for Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust, Franzi Cheeseman, the Head Gardener of Stoke Poges Memorial garden will be leading a  visit to the new bereavment Trail and Covid Memorial. She will also explain the history of this unique Grade I memorial Garden.

Refreshments will be included  as part of the visit. Photos courtesy of Harvey Whittam

Creating something new yet fitting:
Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens, new extension

The Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens is a Grade I registered, beautifully landscaped garden and burial ground for cremation ashes in South Buckinghamshire. The Gardens were designed by landscape architect Edward White of Milner, Son and White, and built in the 1930s. Over the last four years I have been fortunate to be working on a two-acre extension to these historic gardens. Our hard work culminated on Friday 14 June 2024, when we had the great pleasure of welcoming the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Countess Howe, and the Chairman of Buckinghamshire Council, Cllr Mimi Harker OBE, to officially open the new area.

Visitors often remark on how peaceful the gardens are and how much they help them heal from a loss. When starting the design for the extension this was very much part of my thought process. I wanted to include some references to bereavement models, which are sometimes used in counselling. This led to the idea of creating a Bereavement Trail. The hope is that the various features of the trail will help visitors understand and work through some of the emotions they may face after a bereavement.

We have worked with local craftspeople to design and develop features such as the Butterfly Stones, the Dry River, the Stone Table, the Whirlpool of Grief and the Strings (to be placed later this year), which make up the Bereavement Trail. Each area or sculpture explains some of the emotions that one might encounter after a loss and helps visitors remember loved ones who have passed away. Visitors are able to follow the trail with the help of a leaflet explaining the various features (and in time, QR codes will help access the information by mobile phone). Do come and pick up a leaflet from the porch and have a walk round the trail.

Part of the design is the Covid Memorial Garden. It commemorates all who died during the pandemic and creates a space of reflection for visitors. The central memorial of Welsh slate and York stone is carved beautifully to represent an oak tree, a symbol of strength, stability and endurance. These are qualities shown by many people during the pandemic. This new space gives visitors an opportunity to explore and process some of the emotions experienced during the pandemic and aid their wellbeing.

Plaques in memory of loved ones who died during the pandemic (2020–2023) can be purchased to be mounted on a wall at the back of the Covid Memorial Garden. This is for people who died of any cause of death, not just Covid. The impact of restrictions such as lockdowns and limited contact with others was felt particularly keenly during times of illness and bereavement. Visiting loved ones was at times not possible and funerals were not always held in the traditional manner.

We are keen to include as many people as possible to give a sense of the scale of the pandemic for future generations. If you would like more information, please contact the office on 01753 523744 or email Memorial.gardens@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

We are grateful to the Friends of Stoke Poges Memorial Gardens, the Mobbs Memorial Trust and Tesco Community Fund for their generous support of this project.

Franzi Cheeseman, Head Gardener

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Lord Lieutenant and Chair with Martin Cook, stone carver, Covid Memorial Garden

Parking available opposite main gate. Flat terrain with a few steps.

Ticket prices: Members £15.  Non Member £20. Book through https://ticketsource.co.uk/buckinghamshire-gardens-trust