The Eco Church group at St Peter’s Church, Winchcombe has turned a once-neglected corner of their churchyard into a wildlife garden, using a diocesan Wildlife Garden Grant to support the project.
The area, now known as Kenelm’s Corner (after the church’s local saint), has been transformed into a welcoming space for people and wildlife. Previously full of broken stones and nettles, it was often described as ‘quite an eyesore’.
Jenifer Davies and Natalie Stone, representatives for the St Peter’s Winchcombe Eco Church group, reported:
“We have been working on the creation of Kenelm’s Corner since 2024 through a number of working parties, when those in our group were joined by members of the wider congregation and our own family members.”
“We hope this pattern will continue with our ongoing maintenance and that more will come to appreciate the wildlife garden.”
“As with any garden, we do not consider our wildlife garden to be a totally completed project – we look forward to continuing to plant where appropriate and care to care for the garden.”
During their initial site survey, they identified greater celandine and teasel, both of which were kept. They also decided to retain several patches of nettles, very good for some species of butterflies. Planting included a selection of plants with berries for birds and pollinator-attracting plants for all seasons, including:
- Viburnum opulus
- Euonymus europaeus
- Sarcocca
- Mahonia ‘soft caress’
- Winter honeysuckle
- Ilex (Silver Queen and Golden King)
- Hypericum
- Salvia
The group installed a gabion seat, with a flat wooden top sitting on cage of stones, using a cage provided at cost by the manufacturer. Gabion seats can create micro habitats for small plants and animals, adding to their eco appeal. All other materials used were recycled, including broken stone from within the churchyard and a wooden top provided by a local sawmill from a locally sourced tree. A path was also made from discarded stones from the churchyard.
On 6 July, the churchyard was included in the Winchcombe Green Trail (an initiative of Winchcombe Green Town), which gave the public a chance to visit the space. The church plans to hold a summer service in the garden, using the gabion seat as an informal altar.
News Hub
