Grounds Maintenance at The Old Church Tower

Countryside Care, a voluntary branch of the Camping and Caravanning Club, have undertaken considerable work to bring the grounds around the tower back under control. This photo shows the site in 2003 when the tower had almost disappeared from view.

In 2004 the south boundary wall, which had started to crumble away, was repaired and rebuilt as part of the contract with the developers of the privately owned The Lawns. Every attempt was made to find and use matching bricks and sandstone coping stones to blend in with the sound section of the wall.

The grounds underwent major maintenance work in 2006 to clear away a number of dead and self-seeded trees and shrubs and also to crown lift two of the yew trees to reveal a better view of the tower.

Today, the grounds are a pleasant place to while away a moment especially in spring when the crocus and daffodils are in bloom or again in Autumn. Several different species of birds have been observed in the variety of trees within the grounds.

Countryside Care have continued to provide specific help, including constructing a new pathway, and members of the Friends committee provide ongoing maintenance of the site.

Also, in 2006, the Town Street boundary wall was successfully repaired to remove a structural bulge. The wall has an attractive herringbone pattern of stonework and there are several other examples of this wall design around the village.