St Nicholas Church - Best Kept Churchyard

Peaceful, contemplative areas for visitors and for encouraging and interpreting wildlife in the churchyard.

Ken Porter 2011
Ken Porter 2012
Ken Porter 2010
Ken Porter 2012

St Nicholas Church has entered the Essex Best Kept Churchyard Competition for the past three years. The previous two years it came second, this year (2012) it hit the dizzy heights of coming first. The competition is run by the Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) and is kindly sponsored by Lodge and Sons Builders Ltd (Stebbing) and for the first time this year, by the Essex Biodiversity Project, Essex Wildlife Trust.

This is what the RCCE had to say on their web site after the results had been announced: –

‘St Nicholas Church, Laindon was announced as the clear winner and particularly impressed the judges with the creation of peaceful, contemplative areas for visitors and for encouraging and interpreting wildlife in the churchyard.  Managed mainly by volunteers using a Management Plan, the large churchyard commands a wonderful view across south Essex.  The wildflower meadows and planted areas were very attractive to bees, insects and butterflies and provide safe havens for small invertebrates and wildlife to move across the area in search of food’.

A band of volunteers i.e. The Princess Trust, Community Payback volunteers, members of the church congregation and members of the public have helped to make the churchyard a peaceful and pleasant place.

In second place was St Stephens, Cold Norton and joint 3rd was St Mary & St Christopher, Panfield and St Nicholas Church, Kelvedon Hatch.

The aim is to win again next year.

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  • A beautiful churchyard to be sure. My brother died before I was born and was buried somewhere in children’s corner. I tried to find his grave when mum and dad died in 2005 but with no luck, a great pity.

    By Martin Richardson (18/10/2018)
  • I had to write to congratulate the people who have done such a great job at St. Nicholas Church. I haven’t been there for many years but on the 23rd of March we went to lay flowers for my dad on which would of been his 100th birthday. His resting place was very easy to find as now the churchyard has been made so much easier to walk through. Again congratulations on all the hard work.

    By Brenda Mason née Lewis (27/03/2013)
  • Hi Brenda Thank you for your comments on the grave yard as soon as this cold and wet spell is over we will get back to work. We still have several plans for the church yard and have to up date our notice boards. 

    I will pass your comments on to the vicar and congregation. Regards

    By Ken Porter (27/03/2013)
  • The photos are beautiful and show the amount of hard work put in. Congratulations.

    By Andrea (15/07/2012)

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