St Swithun’s Church in Sandford has won an award for encouraging wildlife and people to enjoy its churchyard. It all started three years ago when the Church was given an extra piece of land and a team of volunteers got together to make the churchyard more environmentally friendly. They are delighted to be runners up in the Best Devon Churchyard Competition but, as team member Jean Hope explains, the rewards go way beyond winning a prize.
We first entered the Best Devon Churchyard Competition when it started three years ago. It coincided with needing to find a new person to cut the grass and having an extra piece of land gifted to the churchyard.
A small team drew up a management plan to make the churchyard environmentally more diverse, more colourful, plastic free and people friendly. The very green Steve McCullock took over cutting the grass in a very sympathetic way and also offered us a lot of eco advice. And three years later we have:
- more wildflowers - which we leave to seed;
- spring bulbs along the edges of walls and paths, so that they don't interfere with grass cutting - Tuckers very kindly gave us a large number at very discounted prices;
- a wildflower area created from donated shrub cuttings and seeds - this has been hard to establish as the soil is quite rich in a churchyard;
- bird boxes (including swift boxes in the tower), bat boxes and a bug hotel - many donated.
- whips, donated by the Woodland Trust, such as guelder rose, hazel, hawthorn and elder planted along the hedge line by children from Sandford School.
- a new compost management and rubbish scheme, which people who tend family memorials have been brilliant at co-operating with.
- less plastic by encouraging bulbs or natural flowers/foliage to be placed/planted around graves and memorials;
- more benches (all donated) around the churchyard in various places and with some stunning views.
We are so grateful to all the volunteers who helped make this happen, as well as the people and businesses who have donated plants and materials.
As a result there is noticeably more wildlife in our churchyard, from insects to birds, small mammals to slow worms.
During the first lockdown people living nearby would come and sit in the churchyard, even bringing a cup of tea, as a place where they could be safely outside and spend a peaceful half an hour. And, as someone commented, ‘nature is the real winner here.’
The Best Devon Churchyard Competition is organised by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England.
This video tells the story of the 2020 Competition and celebrates the work of volunteers across the county who have made Devon's churchyards special sanctuaries for people and wildlife in what has been a particularly challenging year. This year St. Margaret's Church at Northam was the winner and St. Swithun's at Sandford was runner-up. All Saints' Church at East Budleigh and Exmouth's Point in View Chapel were both highly commended.
More from
Community
