Cemetery is bloomin’ brilliant

Rectory Lane Cemetery is officially bloomin’ brilliant! At the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Anglia In Bloom award event in St Ives Cambridgeshire last week, the Cemetery won the Best Community Project 2026 award. Anglia In Bloom is a huge region covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, as well as our home county of Hertfordshire and everyone at the Cemetery was absolutely thrilled to receive this award in their very first year of entry. It is testament to all the dedicated work during the year in the cemetery by volunteers and also their fantastic enthusiasm and passion shown on the day they met the judges.

The Cemetery had also been nominated by Anglia in Bloom for a national Special Award for Community Engagement – but that in the end went to Filby in Bloom – a worthy winner focusing on engaging and inspiring young people to garden.

Not only that, but Berkhamsted In Bloom as a whole was awarded Silver Gilt (one point off a Gold) in the highly competitive Best Large Town category, as well as being declared the County Champions for Hertfordshire, and were presented with certificates and carved wooden bowls.

Many people in the town have made this possible and that was visible to the judges who declared: ‘Very well done! A very dedicated In Bloom group with great enthusiasm. Berkhamsted should be extremely proud of all your hard work and efforts. A great first-time entry with lots of potential.’