Cattistock Churchyard Project
The community members involved in looking after and improving our churchyard are passionate about keeping such an important area well looked after in a way that respects and ensures the resting place for many of our community is a welcome sanctuary for visitors. They are also endeavouring to create a space that offers a rich source of habitats for our declining flora and fauna.
There is a small group of committed villagers who have kindly offered their time on specific days to help with improvements to our churchyard. If you would like to be involved, the specific days are every second Thursday of each month at 10.30am throughout the summer – all help is welcome. Volunteers are asked to bring any gardening tools wherever possible. One of the first steps has been to ensure the mowing of the churchyard is conducted more regularly and the clearing of brambles and other invasive species. Further plans are in place to ensure a more managed policy to maintaining the churchyard in the future ensuring a welcoming space for all, that is wildlife friendly. To do this the churchyard community helpers consider advice from the Dorset Wildlife Trust to help shape their progress.
Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) offer free advice and guidelines, including ten wildlife friendly ways to help a community manage their churchyard, this is called ‘The Living Churchyard Project.’ The work the DWT have done over the last 22 years can help a community shape what they do and when, to help provide a range of native flora and fauna that helps to enhance the churchyard and ensure it is a welcoming space for all. To find out more about the DWT project, go HERE
As progress is made by the community helpers, future developments will be shared in both The Chimes and here so do please keep coming back to this page. To make contact with any of the organisers to find out more or offer your help, please contact Cathy Evans on 01300 320703 or speak to Fiona Fulton to find out more.
September 2024 Update: We had a visit from Dorset Wildlife Trust with regard to managing and maintaining the churchyard, and since then we have been waiting on a report from them in order to pull our plan together.
Our Action Plan is now prepared and waiting to be approved by the Parochial Church Council, who have already given approval for an application to the Church of England for a storage shed to be placed within the churchyard for storing garden equipment.
This involves working with the architect employed by the Church who will provide advice on the type of shed and its situation within a Grade 1 Listed environment.
Currently, two village volunteers have given of their time on a regular basis in order to mow the churchyard and the bi-monthly working party sessions have been making good headway into the clearing of some areas of invasive plants and brambles and re-defining the hedgerows. Re- planting with native plants will take place in the autumn where necessary.
Some tree works have been authorised in the new churchyard (in the corner near the Community Space). We have also sought several quotes to address the tall dead pine, but as it is highly likely that there are bats roosting in it, we need to gain advice from officials as to how to proceed. A bat survey is likely to be required.
The next meeting of the PCC is scheduled for September, where all of these areas will be discussed.
