|
|
| Thorpe Market |
| A small village in North Norfolk |
Churchyard conservation
In 1997 a worn-out lawnmower, and an inability
to finance the purchase of a new one, brought about a radical rethink on churchyard
care. A decision was made to leave selected areas uncut for large portions of
the year. The resultant verdant growth and the appearance of wildflowers hitherto
not seen resulted in an invitation to Norfolk Wildlife Trust to carry out a
survey and advise on future maintenance regimes.
In 1998 the churchyard was
described by them as being one of the richest, in terms of diversity, of the
300+ churchyards that they had by then surveyed. In 1999 we were outright winners
of the Barclay/Norfolk Wildlife Churchyard Conservation Award.
In 2003 we received the CPRE (Norfolk Society) Conservation award.
Every year the church welcomes many visitors
on its "Snowdrop Sundays" and "Wildflower Walkabout" days.
In 2001 a self-contained area beyond the main churchyard was opened as a woodland
walk and a wildlife pond was constructed to attract amphibians and birds. See our
gardeners at work. Informative display boards in the church identify the wild-flowers
and butterflies that have been observed.
|
 |
 |
|
|
