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June 2023 June 2023

BRIANTSPUDDLE AND AFFPUDDLE LIVING CHURCHYARD AT AFFPUDDLE

NEWS I mentioned in my Church Warden’s letter that I have been mowing the
Affpuddle churchyard but don’t really know what I am doing. It so happened
that a few days after this mowing, I joined many Dorset church folk in Bere Regis
BRIANTSPUDDLE POST churchyard where experts from Dorset Wildlife Trust, invited by Tony, highlighted
OFFICE AND SHOP all the features of the churchyard.
There wasn’t a great variety or population of fauna, but this was balanced by a
great quantity of flora. The flora ranged from some very interesting and some
very old trees, well maintained hedges, lots of grasses and wild flowers, and
By the time you read this the holiday season will be
in full swing. We like it when visitors discover the lichen and algae.
shop and PO because, invariably, they are Bere Regis graveyard is very different from Affpuddle – they have a separate
impressed with what we offer in such a small space and with the fact that it is all graveyard, so, save for cremations, no recent interments in the yard.
run by volunteers. We try to hide our smugness! But the increase in customers from In Affpuddle we have a very large area of grass (which is what gives me a
outside the locality is an opportunity to stock local items which visitors might want challenge both to organise it’s mowing and to mow it). And, if the mowers aren’t
quick enough, plenty of Taraxacum. But we don’t have a wide variety of native
wild flowers, nor the little creatures that live on them or in them. The experts
pointed out that the most interesting wild flower are annuals, which became
abundant as a result of the centuries of farming annual fodder crops.
The experts, whilst berating “no mow May” did recommend that all grass cuttings
must be removed. If not, the ground becomes too rich because of all the nitrates
etc absorbed by the grass and retained in the matt of decaying grass cuttings at
the root of the sward. This would not be possible at Affpuddle. But what could we
and should we do?
Affpuddle churchyard is set in four distinct areas.
to take home as gifts. So we are now offering more Dorset-based produce such Area 1 is complete with tombs
as biscuits and chocolate as well as our local cards and postcards, Purbeck ice ranging over two hundred
cream and the local honey that we stock normally. years. The ground is uneven
We are compiling a list of customers’ e-mail addresses in order to have a because of long term
‘Friends…….’ email group. We will use this occasionally to alert customers to any collapsing of graves. There is
shop news such as special offers, new products or even requests for help! If you little range of wild flowers
would like to be included in the group just tell us in the shop or e-mail us (see except close to the western
below). As ever, we promise that we will not share your e-mail address with any edge. It is difficult to mow.
other organisation or individual and only e-mail you in connection with shop Area 2 is still open being less
business. than half filled with graves. It is
easier to mow and has a
Don’t forget our call for entries for next year’s calendar. Please create a scene of hedge but not much else.
the parish in any medium such as a pencil sketch, watercolour, oil painting,
collage, embroidery or any other creative medium of your choice but please, no Area 3 has some older graves
photography this time. The submissions should be in landscape format. We and a rich deep sward. It
welcome entries that reflect one or more of the four seasons, but this is not reaches down to the River Piddle.
essential. We would also really like to have some entries from youngsters. All

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