WWI Memorial garden
Restoration, Dedication & blessing
The Dedication and blessing
On Saturday 15 June over one hundred people attended a very special Dedication and Blessing of the World War One Memorial Garden by the Very Reverend Christopher Dalliston, the Dean of Peterborough and the Reverend Michelle Dalliston.
The creation of the garden and restoration of the World War One Memorial plaque carved exactly 100 years ago has been a special project of the Friends of St. Mary’s, Higham Ferrers, who have organised fundraising activities and secured funding from the East Northants Community Facility and Empowerment Funds. Financial donations have been forthcoming from the Swivel Club, the Bell Ringers and the Parish Church Council of St. Mary the Virgin. Other individuals, with no wish to be named, have organised fundraising events and given donations to include the provision of a bench to commemorate those who gave their lives.
The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, Morcea Walker, representatives of the Royal British Legion and the Mayor of Higham Ferrers, Chris O’Rourke, attended the ceremony.
The eighty silver granite setts in the Durham Cross represent the eighty names on the Memorial and the garden is dedicated to all from Higham Ferrers who gave service 1914–1918.
The ceremony, including the reading of the Roll of Honour of one hundred names was very poignant, and brought home to the modern audience the scale of the sacrifices made.
This was followed by the planting of a Peace rose by veterans Joe Granfield and Roger Freeman and rosemary for remembrance by local World War One historian and author, Geoff Moore.
The Last Post and Reveille following two minutes silence was played by William Mantle of The Ferrers School.
The Friends of St. Mary’s wish to thank all those who have helped and pledged their support for this special garden and hope that this will be a place where visitors may find peace and space for reflection and healing; a place of remembrance and of hope.
The restoration of the garden
Work began …
On 1 April 2019 Timotay Landscapes Ltd. began preparations for the hard landscaping. The privet hedge was removed and the area opened up allowing the Church, Chantry Chapel and, very importantly, the memorial to be easily viewed.
