Watford Borough Council has completed a series of enhancements to St Mary’s Churchyard, creating a more welcoming and family-friendly green space in the heart of the town...
To mark the completion of the works, a community celebration event was held on 23 May, with over 100 people attending. The event featured a speech by Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, who welcomed the improvements and thanked those involved.
Families also enjoyed entertainment on the day, including interactive activities with furry animals that helped young people learn about nature, wildlife, and biodiversity in a fun and engaging way.
New wildflower areas have been introduced near the church car park opposite St Mary’s, adding colour and supporting pollinators. Earlier in the spring, Watford Central Primary School took part in a community seed-bombing event to help establish these areas.
Pupils from Lanchester Primary School and St John's Primary School also helped create signage encouraging people to protect the wildflowers, which boost biodiversity and need time to establish. Keeping off the planted areas helps them thrive and keeps the space looking its best. Signs were also created to ask people to avoid feeding pigeons, as this can lead to mess, damage buildings, and discourage other wildlife.
The improvements, shaped by feedback from the local community, have made the churchyard a more enjoyable place to visit. The council worked closely with architectural design students from West Herts College, whose creative ideas contributed to the final design. It was also supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Updated surfacing, new paving, and enhanced entrance features have improved the look and feel of the space, while raised planters, bee hotels, and birdhouses (funded by Watford Town Centre BID) have been added to boost biodiversity. New informal play elements and better pathways now make the churchyard more accessible and engaging, especially for families with young children.
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: “Improving our town’s open spaces is one of my key priorities. The enhancements to St Mary’s Churchyard have helped make this historic space even more inviting for local people and visitors. It’s now a place where families can enjoy nature, informal play, and quiet reflection in the heart of town centre.
“It was great to see so many people at the celebration event, especially young people learning about biodiversity and wildlife in such a hands-on way. A huge thank you to everyone who helped bring this project to life, including the students at West Herts College and the local schools who got involved.”
