Rosher.Net

What a lovely way to spend a sunny spring equinox day, wandering over our brand new burial ground! Today we are basically able to inter if needed – although of course I sincerely hope we  don’t have anyone need our services for a while yet… So under blue skies and amidst birdsong and gentle breezes the Clerk and I paced out the main and secondary burial areas in order to prepare the detailed burial plan.

The brown areas are deliberate! The lower one has been cleared of grass and is about to be seeded with a specially blended mix of wild flowers and grasses, which by summer will begin to turn the central section of the ground into a meadow. Insects of all sorts are likely to find this a wonderful space, band with them come the birds and small mammals. The upper brown area is about to be rotovated and planted with lavenders and roses, and this is where cremated ashes can freely be scattered. The actual interments will begin down to the right (looking down the site) of the meadow area and work up the site, moving into the meadow once the right hand side is filled. Cremated remains may be interred, if desired, along the edges of the ground on the sunny or the shady side.

At the bottom of the burial ground along with the inevitable (but tidy) compost corner, we have insect logs as well as slow worm hides and hedgehog boxes. Although we’ve not encountered any of these friendly creatures during the construction of the burial ground they are native to the area (I have both of them living under my garden shed) and we hope to attract them onto the site. The well head in the photo is capped off now, but will become a focal point as you enter the site. If you didn’t know you’d miss the fact that the grassed area to the left in the photo is parking for hearses and family cars – it’s made of geogrids with grass growing through to hide the solid surface and would otherwise have had to be ugly tarmac.

I’ve always had it in mind I would have a tree on me when I journey on… I may still, but if I end up here I’ll be very happy.

More information at http://www.charfieldburialground.org.uk