Diamond Jubilee willow arch has a new Windsor home

Another one of the six willow arches celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation has found a permanent home in Windsor.

The six were exhibited in front of Windsor Castle on the Long Walk last autumn, before being removed and sold off to raise money for the Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society's Coronation bursary.

The bursary will sponsor a young person through horticultural college every year for the next six decades.

The Royal Borough bought one of the willow arches and it has stood proudly at Alexandra Gardens since November. Now another arch has been bought by energy company Centrica, which is based in Maidenhead Road. 

It will become a permanent fixture at nearby Dedworth Manor Park.

It will be inaugurated in its new home by governor of Windsor Castle, Ian Macfadyen, on Saturday, April 26 at 10.30am, followed by a community event at which students from Berkshire College of Agriculture will showcase their skills.

Andrew Try, chairman of Royal Windsor Rose and Horticultural Society, which commissioned the Coronation Arch, said: "We are not only hoping to enhance the environment for our local community but want to inspire young people to get interested and involved in horticulture.

"It would be wonderful if the very first bursary could be awarded to a local lad or lady from Dedworth."

The horticultural bursary is now open to applications. Contact rwrhs@comxo.com or call 01753 449449.