A special place to remember

Memorial benches are incredibly popular here at Whitlingham Country Park. The park is a special place full of fond memories for many local families - for the young and old alike.

We already have many traditional memorial benches placed around the Great Broad path and others located elsewhere around the park. They allow a beautiful space for quiet reflection for families and friends, as well as a welcome spot to rest for those exploring the Great Broad circular path.

How do I get a memorial bench installed at the park?

We get so many requests, and can only accommodate a few bench installations each year. Therefore we currently have a waiting list for traditional benches around our popular Great Broad path. We only install traditional benches in one small batch per year, typically during May or June. This is due to a combination of factors including optimal weather, staff time and the hire of concreting equipment for the task.

If you want a traditional bench installed along the River Yare, in our picnic meadow, or in Whitlingham Woods, we can discuss suitable locations as these areas will likely not require a spot on the waiting list space for installation.

NEW memorial bench option

Due to the waiting time for concrete bases for traditional benches, as detailed above, we have decided to offer a different style of bench which can be installed much more easily, at any time of year.

The new type of bench is a sleeper style crafted from solid oak, made to last (see image below). It does not require a concrete pad for installation as the legs are made long enough to anchor it securely in the ground, That means it costs a lot less than a traditional bench to purchase and install.

Typically a traditional bench purchased and installed costs around £1,000. We have a recommended supplier who creates high quality benches and supplies excellent security fixings too. The oak sleeper bench costs £450 installed and can have a memorial plaque on it, just like a traditional bench.

These sleeper benches will offer a suitable perch for visitors in places where we cannot install a concrete pad, which opens up further opportunities for those looking for a memorial.

There are still some agreed locations around the Great Broad where we can install these. Get in touch to find out the locations and reserve your chosen space.

Do you offer other types of memorial at Whitlingham?

We can offer alternatives such as finger post signs and gates as memorials too, if those suit your wishes. See the below images for examples we have installed in the park already.

Please note, we are not able to offer memorial trees here, other than in exceptional circumstances.

In future, we are hoping to have some other possibilities to honour loved ones at the park. Watch this space for news and keep an eye on our quarterly e-newsletter - Sign up for this on our home page.