As part of their Heritage Lottery Fund Project, St James' Church in Norton are engaged in the Caring For Gods Acre project - a national charity dedicatedto the conservation of graveyards as special places found in the heart ofcommunities all over the country.
The Revd Mark Badger said: We are working with West Mercia ProbationService, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and the local Community to protect, andrejuvenate our graveyard and make it a beautiful haven for heritage andwildlife that is accessible and connected to the local community to make it acommunity place and space. The staff and children at Norton Juxta Church ofEngland Primary School are very excited about the project and recently visitedthe Church to look at the space and begin to develop ideas of what the wildlifearea might look like."
As well as their importance as havens for wildlife,cemeteries and graveyards offer a wealth of incredible architecture andcaptivating stories. Britain holds some of the worlds oldest and mostspectacular cemeteries, the final resting places of some of the historys mostinfluential people. More and more people are visiting thesefascinating places, and not just to visit their lost loved ones' graves.Cemeteries are becoming destinations for photographers, for walkers and forgenealogists and historians. With its history as the Garrison Church for NortonBarracks, the graveyard at St James has 20 plus military graves along withother interesting monuments such as the Childers' memorial and the parish hopes toencourage people from the local community and beyond to visit St Jamesin order to celebrate their heritage and also to enjoy the tranquillity, peaceand beauty of the graveyard.
Mrs Cathryn Parton, Early Years Teacher at Norton Juxta Kempsey School said: KS1 recentlyenjoyed a visit to the local church, St. Jamess where they are taking part ina project to help encourage wildlife to visit the churchyard. After lookinground the grounds the children sketched some ideas to work on later. Back atschool the children enjoyed using their knowledge of animal habitats and lifecycles to inspire them as they carefully drew their designs to improve thespace. Once completed their designs will be submitted to Rev Mark to hopefullybe included in the finished wildlife garden.
