Gold for Woodvale burial ground gardens

Staff at Woodvale Crematorium are celebrating after winning a Gold award at this year’s South and South East in Bloom competition.

It’s the best result yet for cemetery and crematorium gardeners, Edward Fawcett and Stuart Fairhurst, who have won Silver Gilt awards between 2014 and 2017. Bereavement Team leader Helen Touray said: “Each year we have crept up the marking scale as we implemented new actions so we are delighted to receive our first gold. The challenge now is to achieve gold again next year.”

Set in 42 acres, the Victorian burial grounds at Woodvale are one of the most beautiful areas in Brighton providing a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere for those attending funerals as well as visitors wanting to escape from the busy city centre.

A haven for nature and wildlife, the landscaped gardens include lawns, and flower beds, a waterfall and stream, rockeries and a wooded valley.

The Grade II listed historic flint chapels, built in 1856, were refurbished in 2013 and have just undergone additional conservation works to the roof and gable ends. This work was carried out by specialist conservation stonemasons DBR Ltd.

Visitors can follow a circular waymarked trail which highlights many of the notable monuments while enjoying the spectacular changes throughout the four seasons.

From October to March, the gardens are open daily on Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 11am to 4pm.