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Minibus Trip to an Urban Gem - Arnos Vale Cemetery , Bristol
Join us to take a look at the results of a much publicised, major
restoration project, to return this special cemetery to its former glory
and celebrate its rich heritage and wildlife.
Thursday 22nd July 2010
Leaving Gwent Wildlife Trust, Dingestow at 10.00am & returning for
3.45pm (times to be confirmed)
Arnos Vale Cemetery is a large Grade II listed Victorian cemetery with
local and international significance. It is also a beautiful green space
with many listed buildings and monuments of architectural as well as
local interest, a wildlife haven with a number of habitats, and a
valuable educational resource. The cemetery provides an amazing social
map of how people lived their lives and view have changed over time,
illustrated through the design and context of monuments, and the stories
behind those buried in the cemetery.
When the Victorians originally planned Arnos Vale Cemetery more than 170
years ago, they envisaged it as a modern-day necropolis; an evolving
monument in celebration of those Bristolians who had moved on. However
for many years this vision was lost – hidden beneath a canopy of ivy and
slow decay. But now, in recent years the iconic cemetery has been the
focus of a major restoration project costing over £5.4-million, which
includes a visitor reception and shop. The cemetery is in the care
of the Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, a UK registered charity. For
more information on the cemetery its history & wildlife:
www.arnosvale.org.uk
The day will include:
* Wildlife tour of the cemetery - led by a local wildlife expert to
check out its rich flora and fauna (approx 1 ½hrs)
* Opportunity to look around heritage exhibits – to gain insight into
the site's history, notable graves, architecture and Victoriana.
Please bring a picnic lunch.
FREE as part of the Gwent Living Churchyards Project. BOOKING IS
REQUIRED.
For more details or to book a place please contact Rebecca Price (Gwent
Wildlife Trust, 01600 740358 or rprice@gwentwildlife.org).
Fantastic Fungi
Tuesday 2nd November 2010, 10am-1pm, Christchurch Cemetery ( Newport )
Join us for an informal walk around Christchurch Cemetery with Sheila
Spence of the Gwent Fungus Group. Sheila will help us to learn more
about fungi, their importance and (fingers crossed!) see some of the
variety of grassland fungi that Christchurch Cemetery is home to.
FREE as part of the Gwent Living Churchyards Project. BOOKING IS
REQUIRED.
To book a place please contact Rebecca Price (Gwent Wildlife Trust,
01600 740358 or rprice@gwentwildlife.org).
TRIPS & TRAINING
Gwent Living Churchyards Project can help with money for training
courses, walks & talks by local experts to help you learn more about the
special wildlife & heritage features of your churchyard. We can also
help support churchyard heritage & wildlife events to encourage local
interest and help. If you’re keen to see a training course or talk on a
particular churchyard topic please let us know!
For more information or to book a place contact: Rebecca Price on 01600
740358 or email
rprice@gwentwildlife.org
The 2011 Penterry Photography Competition
Thanks to the enthusiastic support of many residents, visitors and friends of
Penterry, the Penterry Photo Competitions held in 2008 and 2009 have been very
successful in bringing our community together, and in raising funds to help
maintain Penterry Church . Many of you have encouraged us to repeat the
competition, and we have decided to do so – but with a new format.
The theme of our next competition is “Penterry Through The Seasons”. There will
be prizes both for individual photos which capture the spirit of Spring, Summer,
Autumn or Winter, and for groups of up to 4 photos tracing the passing of the
seasons.
To allow plenty of time for entrants to build a portfolio of photos, the
competition will run over two years, and the closing date for entries will be
Wednesday 30th June 2011. Further details, rules and entry forms can be found on
our website:
http://www.penterry.org.uk/?p=photocomp11
The 2011 Penterry Calendar In the
meantime, we are also planning to produce another Penterry Calendar for 2011,
with the theme “Penterry Through The Ages”. For this we need the help of
Penterry residents past and present. Please send us copies of any old
photographs, drawings, paintings or any memorabilia which help to tell the story
of Penterry – people, places, work and play. For further information please
visit us at:
http://www.penterry.org.uk/?p=calendar2011
If you have any questions or suggestions about the competition or the calendar –
or if you would like to help in any way – please e-mail us at: info@penterry.org.uk
Reports on Recent Events
St Michael’s (Tintern) - held an open church & churchyard over the May
bank holiday weekend. Despite the inclement (!) weather on Sunday and Monday, a
steady stream of visitors were warmly welcomed, with plants on sale by the
Village Produce Association & wonderful home baked cakes care of the WI. The
church was specially adorned with flowers & there was the opportunity to learn
more about the trail wildflower meadow area. Visitors also had the opportunity
to view recently computerised burial records for the churchyard. Careful work by
a local volunteer over the last few months means every record since 1813 can now
be searched and printed out by villagers.
St Michael’s (Glasoced) - at the start of May volunteers invited visitors
to join them for an ‘Orchid & Cowslip spectacular’. Local people enjoyed tea &
cakes whilst enjoying the wonderful display of spring wildflowers the churchyard
supports.
St Oudoceus (Llandogo) – a local group of volunteers has been busy
identifying opportunities for wildlife and together with individuals from
Tintern enjoyed an evening guided walk around the meadows at GWT’s Pentywn
nature Reserve to provide a little inspiration! Their trial meadow area may be
on a slightly smaller scale to those at Pentwyn but even the smallest
churchyards can provide important havens for a variety of wildlife.
Penallt Old Church Led by Caroline Howard, Penallt Old Church in the Wye
Valley is developing a wildlife conservation project for it’s lovely old
churchyard. A group of keen individuals are looking to record the wildlife of
the churchyard over the next 12 months, with a view to then agreeing upon a
suitable plan of management. The churchyard is known to be home to a rich
variety of wildflowers. Leaving sensitively chosen ‘meadow areas’ in the
churchyard will enable these wildflowers to flower and set seed, and delight
members of the congregation and visitors to the churchyard alike. Under the
guidance of Caroline the first recording and teaching session took place back in
January where she pointed out some of the more common mosses that are amongst
the many the churchyard supports.
St Cadoc’s Churchyard (Llangattock Lingoed). The churchyard under the
guidance of Revd Jean Prosser has been managed for wildlife & people for a
number of years, with a lovely wildflower area, slow worms and bats. On 3rd
July, Jean talked about how she’s achieved it, problems they’ve encountered and
have a look at some of the wildlife for which the churchyard provides a home.
If you know of a churchyard in Gwent with potential wildlife appeal, would like
to learn more or are keen to develop a living churchyards group in your area
please contact:
Rebecca Price - Living Churchyards Project Officer
01600 740358
rprice@gwentwildlife.org
If you have skills you’d like to offer to our
living churchyards around the county then we would like to hear from
you.
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