ARLEY Hall and Gardens, in partnership with the Walled Garden Company, is welcoming the community tomorrow, March 23, to its public exhibition as it prepares plans for a memorial walled garden.

The garden is due to be situated near the Chapel and an arboretum known as The Grove.

Preliminary studies have been conducted to support a full planning application in late spring, and the project team wishes to share these proposals with the community.

The exhibition will be held at the Olympia Building, Arley Hall, between 2pm and 6.30pm, and provides an opportunity for the public to view detailed proposals for the garden, enabling them to learn more about the proposed development, speak with the project team and leave feedback on the designs.

The Walled Garden Company was established in 2017 in response to the changing way in which the UK population responds to remembering loved ones.

The company is proposing to work with the estate to plant a nationally-iconic walled garden at Arley to offer a sensitive immersive experience for families and friends to gather and celebrate memories of those no longer with us.

The memorial walled garden will be professionally designed and landscaped by internationally-recognised garden designers.

The garden will draw inspiration from Arley Hall and the existing gardens and will blend in sensitively to the surrounding landscape.

Built into the boundary wall will be a series of niches for cremated ashes to be thoughtfully interred.

The walled memorial garden will be open to visitors of Arley Hall and Gardens, and those visiting loved ones resting in the garden will be able to congregate there for periods of reflection and remembrance.

Ninian Macgregor, chief executive of the Walled Garden Company said: “We are committed to working with the community around Arley Hall to help us understand their priorities and feedback on our proposals.

“We have consulted Cheshire East Council, the local parish councils, Historic England and The Gardens Trust, presenting our proposals for consideration.

“I would thoroughly recommend that interested members of the community attend the public exhibition on Friday, or visit our website for information and to leave feedback.”