ASHES of loved ones will again be buried at Grove Parish Church in a new bespoke memorial garden.

Parishioners will also be able to have a stone engraved in their relative's honour in the quiet, contemplative space.

The garden, composed of meditative concentric circles with two benches, was completed earlier this year after members of the church and friends donated £11,000.

Bishop of Dorchester Colin Fletcher will dedicate the oasis of calm in a ceremony on Monday, September 19, at 5pm.

Church warden Sarah Shackleton said: "As a church we were wanting to do more for the community and we felt one of the things that would be really good is to have a quiet space for the community that is in walking distance of a lot of people in Grove.

"The memorial garden quickly became the obvious thing to do.

"There wasn't a memorial garden in Grove, and we wanted a quiet space where people could contemplate and pray."

There has also not been a place to inter ashes at a church in Grove for some time after the designated area at St John's became full some time ago.

Church leaders agreed last year to give an unloved patch of grass by the graveyard a full makeover.

A team of parishioners researched memorial gardens to come up with a perfect design and the work was carried out in spring by Abingdon Stone and Marble.

The plants for the bed were donated by Wyevale Garden centre.

At the centre of the garden is a circular flower bed, surrounded by a gravel pathway. This is encircled by four grass beds where ashes will be interred.

Around those beds is a ring of paving stones that will eventually all be engraved with Bible verses chosen by parishioners to create a "prayer walk" for religious reflection.

Parishioners will also be able to pay to engrave smaller stones will loved ones' names.

Ms Shackleton added: "It is really a place for sitting, having quiet contemplation, prayer and remembering loved ones while providing an asset for the community."

The church is also in the middle of a massive refurbishment of its outdated hall, which is used by community groups but is frequently too cold in winter, too hot in summer and too echoey all-year-round.

After getting £100,000 in donations from Grove Parish Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and landfill tax body WREN, the church has almost completed phase one of the revamp.

It has installed a new window, ceiling, lighting and acoustic tiles that will dampen the echo.

Phase two will see the hall extended to create a proper disabled toilet once the funds have been raised.