When the church was originally built in the 1830s, the site you’re now standing in was a field (which included what is now St John’s Court) in the possession of the nurseryman Joseph Saltmarsh, who was paid £50 to surrender his lease. The ground originally belonged to the Mildmay family and was donated by Dame Jane Mildmay. However, because of the Mildmay legal entailment, she had to give the £200 needed to effectively to buy the land from herself!
The ground directly in front of you was established as a wildflower meadow as part of our Green Space project in 2025. The wildflower turf was laid by a total of 300 children from local schools and nurseries!
Did you know?
Wildflower meadows such as this are essential for biodiversity, as they provide diverse food and habitat for pollinators, supporting other wildlife. Their complex root systems also help mitigate flooding and sequester carbon to combat climate change. Sadly, the UK has lost a staggering 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s, meaning that projects such as this are increasingly important.
Family Fun
The land here was a field before the church was built in the Victorian period. It cost £250 to buy. (That would be 25 THOUSAND pounds in today’s money!)
We made our own wildflower meadow here with the help of 300 local children. They planted and patted down little squares of turf with the wildflowers inside.
Wildflower fact file
- Nectar and pollen from wildflowers provides food for lots of insects – like bees!
- In the summer, a wildflower meadow like ours can feed THOUSANDS of honey bees per day.
- Wildflowers provide a lovely habitat (a home) for lots of different insects because the shape of the flowers gives them shelter.
Activity
See how many different wildflowers you can count! What colours can you see? Do you know any of the names? (Clue: there are yellow buttercups and white daisies in our wildflower meadow)
Discover the stories woven into the green heart of our community. As you wander around the church yard, explore the history, nature and shared memories with friends and family.