Rotary Garden in St Andrews Churchyard

Rotary Garden St Andrews churchyard Penrith

It is our intention to upgrade the Rotary garden. The work will be carried out by A&R Landscapes of Newbiggin and will commence in mid-February taking about a week to complete.

The history of the Rotary garden is as follows:

In 1971 the Rotary Club of Penrith created a garden at the bottom of St. Andrew’s churchyard, on land that had formerly been a builder’s yard. The garden, comprising paths, trees, shrubs and flowers, became a popular amenity, but after 50 years it has become neglected and overshadowed by the trees.

However, the adjacent paved area with its semi-circle of bench seats surrounding the Rotary International “wheel” remains a popular peaceful spot. Last year a re-dedication service, led by Revd. David Sargent, was held at the garden to mark its 50th anniversary.

In 2018 one of our Rotary members, Estelle Uttley, sadly passed away. She left us a legacy of £10,000, to be spent on something for the benefit the people of Penrith. We decided to use the gift to restore the Rotary garden.

• clearing the ground at the bottom end of the garden
• the installation of paths and the planting of some shrubs, plants and bulbs.
• The planting is not yet complete and will be ongoing as suitable shrubs become available.

On completion of phase 1 the plaque commemorating Estelle Uttley was unveiled on Friday 12th August 2022 - see photos above.

• replace poor sandy soil with topsoil in three areas 
• we aim to complete this in time to plant bulbs ready for the spring of 2023.