We’re delighted to have achieved Green Flag status for our two parks this year.   Potters Fields Park has consistently been awarded high-scoring Green Flag Awards for many years, and has now been joined, for the first time, by St. John’s Churchyard.

When we assumed the management of our smaller park in 2017, we started planning a major upgrade, beginning with restoration of the Grade II-listed railings along Fair Street, which was completed in 2019.   In June 2020,  the remaining works were finished,  including a refurbished children’s play area, outdoor table tennis and boules facilities and new wildlife and wetlands beds.

This year, with the new planting well-established, we were confident in entering St. John’s Churchyard for the prestigious Green Flag Award, and were very happy to see it described as  “a very well managed and maintained site, with good standards of maintenance and attention to detail in terms of what needs doing, why and how”.

The judge’s many comments on Potters Fields Park noted that there was plenty of evidence that sustainability was integrated into the park’s active management, including use of green waste mulch, minimising water use by using drought tolerant plants or trees, and reducing pesticides.   He also remarked that it was great to see the multi-stemmed silver birch trees underplanted with native bluebells in such an urban setting.

Our double success this year is a great tribute to the hard work of the team from Gavin Jones, our long-standing landscape and gardening contractors.  Their year-round dedication to keeping our two parks clean, safe and well-maintained is appreciated by everyone who enjoys the parks for recreation, rest and relaxation.

See more about the Green Flag Awards here