Church Yard and Herb Garden

Church Yard


The churchyard around St John’s is one of the few green spaces in the city centre. Our vision is for it to be a pleasant and welcoming mini-park, for the benefit of local residents, businesses and visitors. This has involved partnerships with the City Council, business neighbours, and residents, as well as third sector and educational organisations.

St John’s ‘Medieval’ Herb Garden


DSCF4678St John’s is proud to support bee populations (including our own) with the creation of a city centre herb garden.

IMG_1184With the help of horticulture students from Northumberland College, Kirkley Hall, the herb garden project was begun in September 2013.

The churchyard at St John’s has suffered from anti-social behaviour over the years, making it a bit of a ‘lost space’ and sometimes even a ‘no-go’ area. Significant steps have been taken to ‘design out crime’ and improve the grounds for the benefit of all. Drains have been cleared, benches repaired, and security lighting installed. Finally, we have undertaken an ambitious re-landscaping programme that has included the planting of thousands of spring bulbs and the creation of our ‘medieval herb garden’.

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This is all part of our programme of regeneration of the churchyard to create a new community garden space in the heart of the city centre for events and recreation, as well as making a significant contribution to urban biodiversity and environmental sustainability.

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