A town centre garden in Melksham designed as a quiet little oasis of calm has been reopened following months of legal wrangling.

The Friends Garden was gifted by Spiritualist Church trustees to Melksham Town Council for the sum of just 1p in 2021 but has been closed ever since for legal reasons.

The garden lies behind the former spiritualist church in King Street and is intended to provide a quiet community space for residents to sit in peace and contemplate.

It has been maintained by Melksham Bloomers, a voluntary group who raised the funds to create the garden.

It was formerly used as a former Quiaker burial ground from 1700-1959 and for burying the ashes of Spiritualists from 1959-2019.

They say it is a place for residents to use for 'peace, quiet contemplation, remembrance and prayer'.

Town councillors agreed in principle in July last year to take over the ownership of the garden but wanted clarification on their financial responsibility for the access road off King Street.

The road is shared with local residents but Wiltshire Council says it is an “unclassified public highway”.

Following months of closure, it was finally re-opened at an official ceremony on Saturday, August 6.