Bedmond Churchyard
The Living Churchyard Scheme aims to help churches manage their churchyards in a wildlife-friendly way, while being sensitive to the needs of all churchyard users.
Churchyards are important places for people, but they can be havens for wildlife too. As these habitats remain largely undisturbed, numerous plants and animals have space to thrive. With good management, wildflower rich churchyards can support a diverse ecosystem.
Many ancient meadows and pastures rich in wildflowers, butterflies and insects have been lost since the Second World War, due to the widespread use of fertilizers and herbicides. Churchyards can be the last refuge for wildlife in some cases and also play an important role in enabling species to move from one place to another.
We have just begun to manage our churchyard at Bedmond in accordance with the principles of the Living Churchyard Scheme and initially undertook a Flora survey which listed over 40 species not to mention the grasses, trees, mosses, fungi and all the living creatures that depend on them.
As such we already have a rich flora and fauna but are seeking to encourage greater diversity and also maintain a healthy balance. With this in mind, areas of the Churchyard are managed in different ways. The grassed pathways around the Church and the car park are regularly mown for practical reasons and to provide a fit setting for the Church. Around these pathways and the car park though, and more especially in our large field area, we leave the grass to grow long during the summer months to encourage different flowers, butterflies, moths and birds. This also allows caterpillars that feed on the wildflowers and grasses time to pupate. In this way we are trying to conserve and encourage as diverse a range of wildflowers as possible.
Members of our congregation attended a scything course in the summer of 2016 to learn how to manage the grassland in an ancient and more environmentally friendly way. Following this we were awarded a Green Grant from the Diocese towards the purchase of our own scythe for Bedmond and we have just begun to use it.
In 2016 we also began to hold regular monthly Churchyard working parties. So far we have been focusing on coppicing the many Sycamores and Laurels which surround the Church, which had become very overgrown and were taking a lot of light away from the Yew Trees. The coppiced trees are now much easier to manage going forward and the Yew Trees are slowly beginning to recover. From the prunings we created a beautiful natural fence to separate the car park from the wildlife area.
We have also been creating many new habitats such as wildlife wood piles which are beneficial for many species, as well as new habitats for hedgehogs, stag beetles and amphibians.
We hold a monthly Churchyard working party on the third Saturday of each month from 10am – 12 noon followed by refreshments in the Church. Tasks include all of the regular gardening jobs; mowing, clearing, weeding, pruning etc. There are jobs suitable for all so please join us.
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The coming week...
Monday 24th July
9.30 am Morning Prayer in St Larence
5.15 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence
7.45 pm Ringers' practice in St Lawrence tower
Tuesday 25th July
9.30 am Morning Prayer in St Lawrence
10.15 am Tuesday Coffee in the Breakspear Room, St Lawrence
10.30 am Home Communion at Margaret House
5.15 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence
Wednesday 26th July
9.30 am Morning Prayer in St Lawrence
10.15 am Holy Communion in St Lawrence
5.15 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence
7.45 pm Choir practice in St Lawrence
8.00 pm Bereavement Visitors meet in the Methodist small hall
Thursday 27th July
8.15 am Early Prayer for the parish and community in St Lawrence
9.30 am Morning Prayer in St Lawrence
3.20 pm Funeral of Janet Roberts at the Crematorium
5.15 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence
7.00 Wedding rehearsal in St Lawrence
8.00 pm Wedding rehearsal in St Lawrence
Friday 28th July
9.30 am Morning Prayer in St Lawrence
10.00 am Craft Group in Bedmond Church
10.00 am AHAL Coffee in the Henderson Hub, Abbots Langley High Street
12.00 noon Bell Toll for WW1 soldier William Herbert Tippetts
2.00 pm Craft and Conversation in the Breakspear Room, St Lawrence
3.00 pm Funeral of Julie Lockyer in Bedmond Church followed by Cremation
5.15 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence
Saturday 29th July
9.30 am Churchyard Working Party at Bedmond
2.00 pm Wedding of James Christianson and Emma Lowrie
4.00 pm Wedding of Anthony Brundritt and Stacie Lyle
Sunday 30th July - the Seventh Sunday after Trinity
8.00 am Holy Communion in St Lawrence
9.30 am Parish Communion with Seekers and Creche in St Lawrence
6.30 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence
Monday 31st July
9.30 am Morning Prayer in St Lawrence
12.00 noon Bell Toll for WW1 soldiers Percy Coleman and William Leslie Jerram
5.15 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence
7.00 pm Battle of Passchendaele Commemoration Service at the War Memorial organised by the Royal British Legion
7.45 pm Ringers' practice in St Lawrence tower
Tuesday 1st August
9.30 am Morning Prayer in St Lawrence
10.15 am Tuesday Cofee in the Breakspear Room, St Lawrence
5.15 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence
Wednesday 2nd August
9.30 am Morning Prayer in St Lawrence
10.00 am Coffee Morning in Bedmond Church
10.15 am Holy Communion in St Lawrence
5.15 pm Evening Prayer in St Lawrence