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Walberton Churchyard Heritage Project Report 2 |
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The First Three Months May to August 2003
. . . . Back in May, it was great to hear that we had been successful in our bid for funding
from the Local Heritage Initiative. At that stage many of our proposals were tentative
and the costings approximate: so the first challenge was to put flesh on the bare bones
and make sure the whole was truly achievable.
. . . . On the historical front, while there was a lot of information available in various local
studies and in the County Record Office, much more specific facts were needed to give
substance to the video film script which is going to link inscriptions on gravestones
with events in the village's history. Similarly, while we knew which gravestones and
memorials we wanted to restore, the actual methodology had to be researched.
. . . . In a few lines, we set out an outline of our progress, what has been achieved thus far,
and we refer to one or two lessons we have learnt!
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Flora and fauna survey and Management Plan
. . . . We have completed 12 months survey work and have continued with a trial mowing regime
which is aimed at conserving wildlife and yet having a churchyard which is obviously well
cared-for. Right through the spring and autumn the unmown areas have been rich in a
wide variety of wildflowers.
. . . . We have also repeated our annual count of bats emerging from the eaves of the
church – 232 this year.
. . . . Not everyone likes the unmown areas of grass as they think it is
untidy – we try to explain through articles in the Parish Magazine and church newsletter.
Next year we hope the P.C.C. will approve a long term management system.
New Church and Churchyard Guide
. . . . Our existing guide is very scholarly but, for most people, a bit dull! The new
guide is at the first draft stage and will not be a catalogue of memorials and artefacts –
more a commentary on the uses and significance of the different parts of the church
building to today's congregation. The second part of the Guide will be a self-guided
trail around the churchyard to look at some of the more interesting stones, to link
them to the history of the village and to celebrate the variety of wildlife that uses
God's Acre.
Tree Surgery
. . . . Because we are in a Conservation Area, we found we had to obtain the consent
of the local authority to the pollarding of two large trees. Once notified, they have 6
weeks in which to consider whether a Tree Preservation Order should be applied. We anticipate
no problems as we took the precaution of consulting their Arboricultural Officer before
we notified them.
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Repairs to Gravestones and Memorials
. . . . The original focus of this was to repair some gravestones that were damaged
in the Great Storm of 1987. However, recently churches have been warned by their insurers
of their liability if gravestones are unstable and cause a danger to children. On testing
all our stones, we did find a number which could easily have toppled over and these will
be secured. Another complication was that we have had to advertise our proposals in the
local paper to ensure families of the deceased are supportive of the work. Prices for the
work have now been received and orders placed with local contractors.
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Educational Project
. . . . The village school come to the parish church several times each year for services,
but this project aims to unlock the potential of the churchyard for cross-curricular
studies. So far, there has been good contact with school staff and a full day's consultation
on site with a group of children. They responded with enthusiasm and displayed levels of
understanding and interest beyond our expectations; examples of their work included creative
writing using words found on gravestones, sights, sounds and smells, and comments on likes
and dislikes from the children.
"Hidden Gems" video film
. . . . We have been so lucky with the weather this summer and so the
actual filming is now well advanced; the time consuming editing process will start after
Christmas. Action so far covered includes children at work on the educational project,
volunteers mowing the grass and an enactment of harvest time 300 years ago! A huge amount
of background research has been undertaken and we have all learnt a lot about our village.
This is a truly community based project involving many people on screen and behind the
scenes. Due to provisions of Child Protection legislation and new privacy laws it has been
necessary to obtain parent/guard.ian consent for the whole of one class at school and the
signature of all adults taking part. If a parent does not want the image of their child
to appear on the website, it leads to complications when editing.
. . . . A small clip from the video film will be offered to
the LHI website (click here). which will show
children helping the village Tree Warden to measure the girth of a great yew tree which
is estimated to be more than 1100 years old. Further stills from the film will be fed in
at a later date.
Peter Brown.
21/8/03
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Contact:-
Peter Brown - phone (01243) 551829
Note:- If phoning from overseas replace the UK area code (01243) with (+44 1243)
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