Norfolk’s first garden in memory of Queen Elizabeth II has opened in Wymondham.

The tribute to the country’s longest reigning monarch saw a small garden on Chandler’s Hill, in the town centre, transformed with new paving, lawns and planting and a statement tree in the centre.

It was funded by Wymondham Town Council and a plaque dedicating the garden to Queen Elizabeth was unveiled on Friday, October 27 by deputy mayor Annette James. The event was attended by town and district councillors, the contractors M&N Landscaping, designer Lesley Clarke, town council grounds staff, members of Greening Wymondham and Wymondham in Bloom.

The idea for the garden was presented to the town council two years ago by former town and current district councillor Kathryn Cross with the plan for it to be a Jubilee garden.

But in the time it took for a design and funding to be approved and contractors sought for tender, sadly the Queen passed away and therefore it was decided that it would be a memorial garden.

Cllr Cross said she was delighted with the transformation.

“It is exactly how I envisaged it two years ago,” she said. “It took a long time to get from idea to completion but I feel it is a very fitting tribute and I hope residents and visitors to Wymondham will enjoy spending time in it. It was very important that it was accessible to all and the pathway through the middle should mean everyone can enjoy it. I’m looking forward to next spring when the central tree blooms as it is a Magnolia Elizabeth and I think it will be stunning.”

Town Mayor Suzanne Nuri-Nixon thanked all those involved with the garden and explained that permission had to be obtained from the Royal Names Team in the Cabinet Office to allow the town to call it the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Garden.

In a letter from the Cabinet Office the town council was told: “Permission to use the title Royal and other protected titles is granted by His Majesty The King on the advice of His Ministers.”

In further guidance issued in July this year it states that the protected Royal titles are sparingly granted and strict standards are applied. The full title of Queen Elizabeth II will continue to be closely protected and only be granted for applications with strong Royal connections.