Remembrance Sunday in Saltford and the ‘Saltford Poppy Project 2026’

Saltford will come together on Sunday 8 November 2026 to remember those who lost their lives in conflict and honour all who have served. The annual Remembrance Sunday commemorations will include a parade through the village, a service at St Mary’s Church (livestreamed to the church hall) and an Act of Remembrance at Saltford War Memorial, culminating in the national two-minute silence at 11am.

Saltford Parish Council (SPC) extends its sincere thanks to the 1st Saltford Scouts, who once again lead the organisation of the village’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations, and to all the volunteer marshals whose time and dedication help make the event possible.

Thanks are also extended to Saltford District Guides and Brownies, St Mary’s Church, local uniformed youth groups, Saltford4Nature volunteers, residents and everyone else involved in ensuring that the village can remember together in a meaningful and respectful way.

Remembrance Sunday 2025: Parade passing the Saltford War Memorial

Remembrance Sunday 2026: Parade and service at St Mary’s Church

Each year, members of the 1st Saltford Scouts and Saltford District Guides and Brownies parade from the green in front of Saltford Hall on Broadway (by Saltford Hall) to St Mary’s Church in Queen Square.

Following the church service, local dignitaries will join the parade as it proceeds along the High Street towards Saltford War Memorial, where residents will gather for the Act of Remembrance.

The service at the War Memorial will include the traditional sounding of the Last Post, wreath laying and the national silence at 11am. SPC Chair Cllr Jon Godfrey will lay a wreath on behalf of the Saltford community.

Following the commemorations, the parade will return to Saltford Hall, where participants will disperse.

Members of the public are welcome to walk alongside the parade. However, capacity inside St Mary’s Church is limited, and the church service itself is reserved for parade participants and community representatives.

St Mary’s Church plans to livestream the service into the Church Hall in Queen Square, allowing members of the public to follow the service indoors. Further information about the church is available on the St Mary’s Church website.

Timings for Sunday 8 November 2026

• 🔹 Around 9:30am: The parade departs from Saltford Hall on Broadway and proceeds to St Mary’s Church in Queen Square.
• 🔹 Around 10:00am: Remembrance service at St Mary’s Church for parade participants and community representatives. Public viewing is planned via a livestream in the Church Hall, subject to confirmation.
• 🔹 Around 10:45am: The parade proceeds from St Mary’s Church to Saltford War Memorial.
• 🔹 11:00am: Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial, including the Last Post, wreath laying and the national silence. Cllr Jon Godfrey will lay a wreath on behalf of Saltford residents.
• 🔹 Around 11:15am: The parade returns to Saltford Hall and disperses.

Please note that timings are approximate and any arrangements for public viewing of the church service should be confirmed nearer the date.

Image shows the Rev’d Nigel and SPC Chair Cllr Jon Godfrey as part of the parade from the Church to the War Memorial, with members of 1st Saltford Scouts behind. Image taken on High Street, Remembrance Sunday 2025

Road closures and travel information

Temporary road closures will be in place on the morning of Sunday 8 November 2026 to enable the parade to proceed safely through the village.

Drivers are kindly asked to avoid roads in the immediate Broadway area from 9:15am and the parade route between approximately 9:30am and 11:30am. These arrangements are particularly important for the safety of the young people participating in the parade.

The estimated closure period is 9:30am–11:30am, affecting the following roads:

• 🔹 Wedmore Road
• 🔹 Broadway
• 🔹 Stratton Road
• 🔹 Norman Road
• 🔹 Beech Road
• 🔹 The High Street between Saltford Hall and St Mary’s Church

Volunteer marshals will accompany the parade and be on duty throughout the road closures. They will wear high-visibility clothing, and road barriers will be in use. Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES Council), as the highways authority, will also put advance warning signs in place to alert drivers to potential delays.

A copy of B&NES Council’s temporary road closure notice will be shared or made available as a downloadable PDF once received. Further details will also be available through B&NES Council’s temporary traffic regulation notices.

Supporting safe commemorations

Saltford Parish Council is pleased to support the practical arrangements needed to keep the parade safe.

In 2025, SPC awarded a £500 grant to the 1st Saltford Scouts towards the purchase of road closure barriers and signage. In October 2026, a further £100 grant was awarded to support the purchase of two additional “Road Closed” signs for this year’s parade and future commemorations.

These contributions help the Scouts and volunteers manage road closures safely and support the continuation of this important village tradition.

The Saltford Poppy Project 2026

The poppy is a familiar symbol of remembrance, representing our collective gratitude to those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in conflict.

As Saltford prepares for Remembrance Sunday 2026, the Saltford Poppy Project forms part of the wider theme of community remembrance reflected in this year’s commemorations.

Throughout 2026, local volunteers have been meeting regularly to create the Saltford Poppy Project – a village-wide tribute to those who lost their lives in service to their country. Please see mentions in SCA’s SCAN (newsletter) for more information.

With the support of local volunteers – including residents, Scouts, Guides, school children, St Mary’s Church and community group members – around 5,000 handcrafted poppies have been created. The initiative has been supported by Saltford Community Association, Saltford Parish Council (SPC) and Saltford’s B&NES Ward Councillors.

Each poppy created represents time, care and a shared commitment to remembering the fallen. From making individual poppies to creating and putting up the displays, this has been a real community effort, with many residents contributing their time, creativity and enthusiasm.

The poppies will form a range of displays throughout Saltford, including at the church, War Memorial and Memorial Garden. There will also be around 40 poppy wreaths along the Remembrance Sunday parade route. Poppy displays will also be on SPC’s red phone box at Norman Road, and on its noticeboard by the shops.

Wreaths created as part of the project will also remember individuals from Saltford who lost their lives – about 10 wreaths will be displayed at selected locations, near their homes, in their memory. Saltford Parish Council, as a supporter of the project, has made direct contact with residents regarding this aspect of the project.

All involved with the Saltford Poppy Project hope residents enjoy seeing the poppy displays and wreaths around our village this November.

A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to the project, and to all the residents who have supported it. Your time, generosity and community spirit have helped make this special tribute in 2026 possible.

Thank you to everyone supporting Saltford’s Remembrance

Saltford Parish Council is grateful to everyone who contributes to the village’s Remembrance Sunday arrangements each year.

Our thanks go to the 1st Saltford Scouts, Saltford District Guides and Brownies, St Mary’s Church, all uniformed youth groups, local volunteers, residents and parade marshals. Their commitment ensures that the community can come together to honour those who served and remember those who did not return.

Special thanks are extended to the Rev’d Nigel and everyone at St Mary’s Church for supporting the service and arranging the planned livestream to the Church Hall in Queen Square. Those participating in the parade will attend the service inside the church.

SPC also thanks the Bath & North East Somerset Council Parks team, who maintain the flower beds beside Saltford War Memorial and at Saltford Memorial Garden, helping to ensure these important places of remembrance are well cared for.

Local volunteer group Saltford4Nature has once again supported B&NES Council by organising tidy-up and replanting sessions during October for the beds at Saltford Memorial Garden, near the junction of Manor Road and the A4 Bath Road.

Saltford4Nature welcomes additional volunteers so that the group can expand its work around the village. To find out more about its activities and how to get involved, please email Saltford4Nature@gmail.com.

Photo of Saltford4Nature volunteers taken in October 2025, tending B&NES Council’s beds at Saltford Memorial Garden.

Saltford War Memorial and the village’s wartime history

Saltford’s War Memorial commemorates residents who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars. The names of those remembered, together with information about the village’s history, can be found on Saltford Parish Council’s History of Saltford webpage, under the ’20th Century’ section.

The 1st Saltford Scouts have organised the village’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations for many years, with SPC supporting the event through publicity and community information.

To look back at previous commemorations, visit SPC’s photographic feature, Saltford Remembers – Remembrance Sunday 2023 in Pictures. Details from last year’s commemorations and their preparations – including when the lettering on the War Memorial railings were repainted – can be found in SPC’s article: ‘Lest We Forget: Saltford’s plans for Remembrance Sunday 2025′.

Last year to mark ‘VE Day 80’ in May 2025, Saltford Community Association compiled a booklet entitled Wartime Memories from Saltford Residents in 2020 & 2025. The publication is available as a PDF through the Saltford Environment Group website: Wartime Memories from Saltford Residents.

For a broader overview of Saltford during the twentieth century, including information about the War Memorial and the village during wartime, visit SPC’s History of Saltford webpage.

More detailed information about Saltford during the First and Second World Wars is available through the Saltford Environment Group’s online museum.

The Last Post: A long-standing Saltford tradition

The sounding of the Last Post is an enduring part of Remembrance Sunday in Saltford, as it is in villages and towns across the country.

Saltford Environment Group has published an informative account of this tradition on its website: Remembrance Sundays at Saltford: “The Last Post”.

The page includes recordings of the Last Post and the Long Reveille played by a Saltford resident and ex-serviceman who sounded his bugle at the village’s Remembrance commemorations from approximately 2001 to 2014. The recording was made in 2010.

Image of the Saltford War Memorial with wreathes, taken on on Remembrance Sunday 2025

Further Remembrance Commemorations in Bath and North East Somerset

Remembrance Sunday services and parades will take place across Bath, Keynsham and other communities throughout Bath and North East Somerset on Sunday 8 November 2026. Further commemorations will also take place on Remembrance Day, Wednesday 11 November 2026.

Information about other local services and road closures will be shared by B&NES Council as details become available. Residents can check the council’s Newsroom for updates.

Bath Abbey is also scheduled to hold its annual Remembrance Service at 2pm on Sunday 8 November. Please consult the Bath Abbey Remembrance Service event page for further details.

Information about Remembrance Sunday and Remembrance Day road closures will also be available through the B&NES Council website.

We Will Remember Them

Remembrance Sunday is an opportunity for Saltford to come together across generations, honour those who served and reflect on the sacrifices made in the cause of peace and freedom.

Saltford Parish Council thanks everyone who gives their time, care and commitment to these commemorations. Through the continued efforts of local organisations, volunteers and residents, the village’s traditions of remembrance will be carried forward for future generations.

Close up image of the wreaths at Saltford War Memorial, as laid on Remembrance Sunday 2025

We look forward to coming together in Saltford on Sunday 8 November 2026 to remember.