ARMED with his umbrella, a slightly damp bishop dedicated a new memorial garden at St John the Baptist Church in Grove.

Accompanied by church members who helped raise £11,000 for the new green space, the Rt Revd Colin Fletcher led a prayer that it might bring peace to the bereaved.

The garden, composed of meditative concentric circles and two benches, will also be a place where parishioners can bury the ashes of loved ones.

Rev John Durant, who accompanied the bishop on Monday afternoon, said: "In our dedication service we prayed the memorial garden would be a place of memories and prayer, a place of rest.

"We prayed it would be a place where God will heal painful memories, speak a word of peace and bring us his love so that we can remember with love and thanksgiving those we know who have died."

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.

A circular flower bed at the centre is surrounded by a gravel pathway which in turn 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.