Bluebell Railway Memorial Garden
The garden consists of a pathway, "The Walk of Memories", made up of individual blocks engraved with a personal inscription. Here, friends and family can visit at any time. Located in a beautiful countryside setting overlooking the line from an elevated viewpoint near Horsted Keynes Station, the garden provides a quiet space for reflection and remembrance.
The Garden opened on 3 July 2011, and a service of dedication was held by Father John Twisleton, Rector of St Giles, Horsted Keynes and Chaplain to the Bluebell Railway, together with the Right Revd. Cornell Jerome Moss, Bishop of Guyana (who was visiting and kindly agreed to participate). This gallery includes pictures of the ceremony taken with permission. The Bishop (who has subsequently died) later rode on the footplate to Sheffield Park and the party visited the Bluebell Railway Museum.
Photographers and visitors are asked to respect the area. Please do not stand on the planted beds. There are other suitable vantage points for photography.
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Roy Watts, Chairman BRPS, greets the guests and explains the history and purpose of the Memorial Garden. 03.07.2011 2129
Sheila Eastland, widow of Martin Eastland who was one of the BRPS founder members, cuts the ribbon whilst Father John Twistleton (Rector of St. Giles' Church, Horsted Keynes, and the Railway's chaplain), The Right Revd Cornell Jerome Moss (Bishop of Guyana), and the BRPS Chairman, Roy Watts, look on. 03.07.2011 2132
An engraved paving block is unveiled by Martin Eastland's granddaughter whilst Father John Twistleton (Rector of St. Giles' Church, Horsted Keynes, and the Railway's chaplain), The Right Revd Cornell Jerome Moss (Bishop of Guyana), BRPS chairman, Roy Watts, and other family members look on. 03.07.2011 2147
An engraved paving block is unveiled by Martin Eastland's granddaughter whilst Father John Twistleton (Rector of St. Giles' Church, Horsted Keynes, and the Railway's chaplain), The Right Revd Cornell Jerome Moss (Bishop of Guyana), BRPS chairman, Roy Watts, and other family members look on. 03.07.2011 2152
An engraved paving block is unveiled by Martin Eastland's granddaughter. 03.07.2011 2156
An engraved paving block is unveiled by Martin Eastland's granddaughter. 03.07.2011 2157
The memorial paving block remembering Martin Eastland, a Founder Member of the BRPS. 26.06.2011 2046
Father John Twistleton (Rector of St. Giles' Church, Horsted Keynes, and the Railway's chaplain), and The Right Revd Cornell Jerome Moss (Bishop of Guyana) dedicate the main memorial plaque. 03.07.2011 2164
The main memorial plaque. 03.07.2011 2120 (Apologies for the intrusion of watermarking into this picture - it is sytem generated and it is not possible to remove it from individual pictures).
Speeches by the clergy. 03.07.2011 2170
Blessing the main plaque and other memorials. 03.07.2011 2174
The Blessing. 03.07.2011 2186
Blessing the Garden. 03.07.2011 2177
Blessing the Garden. 03.07.2011 2181
The Guests. 03.07.2011 2171
The Guests. 03.07.2011 2172
The clergy pose by the main memorial plaque accompanied by Mrs Eastland and her granddaughter. 03.07.2011 2191
A memorial seat in memory of Roy Skilton. 26.06.2011 2049
Some of the memorial plaques in the Garden. 26.06.2011 2047
The entrance to the memorial garden pictured on 21.01.2012. The fence at the entrance prevents damage by rabbits. 3502
The temporary fence at the entrance to the Memorial Garden has since been replaced by a gate. 21.02.2012 3673
The memorial garden lawn pictured on 21.01.2012. The lawn is now recovering from drought damage in 2011. 3503
The borders in the memorial garden have been substantially improved, with additional planting and rabbit fencing. 21.01.2012. 3504
The borders in the memorial garden have been substantially improved, with additional planting and rabbit fencing. 21.01.2012. 3505
A self explantory notice. 03.07.2011 2119
A further batch of memorial tablets have arrived and Chris Saunders, assisted by a colleague, is seen instaling one. Families can either be present when the tablet is installed or (as in this case) have the tablet installed when it is ready. There are a growing number of requests for tablets, and some spaces have also been reserved for future use. 20.03.2012 3875
A lovely display of bulbs is now florishing under Roy Skilton's memorial seat. 20.03.2012 3876
The daffodils are also flowering. Foot marks betray the fact that some people are still treading on the planted beds to view or photograph trains. There are other suitable vantage points for this. Please respect the area. 20.03.2012 3876
This little fellow was taking full advantage of the digging, but proved rather camera shy. However, I was much amused to find that at one point he perched inside the open boot of Chris Saunders' car. 20.03.2012 3878
The display of spring flowers in the Bluebell Railway Memorial Garden. 12.05.2013 7050
The display of spring flowers in the Bluebell Railway Memorial Garden. 12.05.2013 7051
The display of spring flowers in the Bluebell Railway Memorial Garden. 12.05.2013 7052
The display of spring flowers in the Bluebell Railway Memorial Garden. 12.05.2013 7053
Prior to the dedication ceremony featured earlier in the gallery, Martin Eastland's plaque was installed in the path. 26.06.2011 2045
Installing a memorial plaque. 26.06.2011 2050
Installing a memorial plaque. 26.06.2011 2056
Following the dedication of the Memorial Garden, The Right Revd Cornell Jerome Moss (Bishop of Guyana) takes the controls of B473 under the supervision of Clive Groome. Horsted Keynes 03.07.2011 2194
The crew of B473 pose at Sheffield Park with The Right Revd Cornell Jerome Moss (Bishop of Guyana),and Father John Twistleton (Rector of St. Giles' Church, Horsted Keynes, and the Railway's chaplain). 03.07.2011 2202
The party subsequently visited the Bluebell Railway Museum at Sheffield Park. 03.07.2011 2204
The party subsequently visited the Bluebell Railway Museum at Sheffield Park. 03.07.2011 2208
The party subsequently visited the Bluebell Railway Museum at Sheffield Park. 03.07.2011 2209
The party subsequently visited the Bluebell Railway Museum at Sheffield Park. 03.07.2011 2206
The party subsequently visited the Bluebell Railway Museum at Sheffield Park. 03.07.2011 2207