A walk on the wild side down Stoke Rochford way

Church communities across the country are responsible for many old and historic buildings and with this responsibility often comes responsibility for a churchyard or burial ground. This is true in rural Lincolnshire, where many churches have ancient lands that have seen the burial of the dead for many hundreds of years. The undisturbed soil also contains a time capsule seedbanks of local Lincolnshire meadow flowers from bygone eras.

Church communities across the country are being encouraged to look after these spaces in a better and more eco-friendly manner, a way that better helps the environment. In order to do this, a team of volunteers at Stoke Rochford near Grantham are enabling areas of the church yard to become wilder and less manicured. Rev Neil Griffiths says ‘We hope this will lead to increases in bees and other wildlife, which are all important to all our health and wellbeing.’

Neil continues, ‘Because churchyards and burial grounds are important to many people, especially the relatives of those buried there, the areas we’ve chosen are those that are less often visited, in out of the way spots and where the burials are much older. We are also ensuring that there are signs letting visitors know what is happening, so that everyone knows that we are actively caring for this space and why we are doing it.’

The small church community in Stoke Rochford including residents, school children, PCC and local farmer, have chosen to embark on this journey and spent time on Saturday 11^th September, planting 700 wildflowers, of 5 different species, in parts of the churchyard. The plants came from a local wildflower firm, who know the local soil conditions and provided locally grown specimens of Knapweed, Scabious, Birds-foot trefoil, Oxeye daisy, Kidney vetch, Yellow rattle, Goats beard, Self-heal and Sainfoin. These will be a colourful spring and summer addition to the Aconites and Snowdrops that carpet the churchyard in the winter months.

Next summer the flowers will be in full bloom, and the increase in bee and wildlife activity will be much in evidence.  There are also excellent examples of God’s Acre projects nearby at Carlton Scroop and Long Bennington. Mark a date in the diary for June next year and pay a visit, you might be surprised by what you find.