Churchyard

St. Mark’s Church is surrounded by a beautiful, peaceful churchyard, a place for quiet prayer and reflection or just for enjoying the stillness.

It is a large enclosed area surrounding the church on all sides, with a number of different identifiable areas revealed as one walks. It is a special place, an enclosed, secure sacred space, removed from everyday life yet, with the church building that it surrounds, intimately concerned with major stages on life’s journey from birth to death.

Here Baptism parties assemble and wedding photographs are taken. Here too there are reminders of many lives that have been completed. There is a sense of history, of continuity through time, since the church and churchyard are places where life and death have been celebrated through the generations.

There is a sense of timelessness about the sacred space of the churchyard, affirming eternal life. It is also a place of sanctuary, holy ground, surrounded by walls and hedges, a place to come apart from the cares and worries of the world.

Whether you are at St. Mark’s for a special occasion, a Sunday service or just visiting, we hope that you will enjoy the peace and beauty of our churchyard.

Guidance on Memorials

We recognize that many people come to our churchyard to remember loved ones, and everyone remembers in their own way, however any memorials are subject to national and local regulations.  Please follow the following links to download our Churchyard Regulations and Garden of Remembrance Notes in PDF format.