Lost graves discovered as volunteers restore overgrown historic churchyard in Washington

Volunteers have helped clear a path around the graveyard

Overgrown with ivy and vegetation, the graveyard at Holy Trinity Church, in Washington Village, had been left untouched years.

Now a community group is aiming to restore the site to its former glory, and create an eco-friendly nature area where wildlife can thrive.

But the volunteers also made a surprise discovery when clearing the undergrowth revealed lost gravestones from the 19th Century.

Mary Evans, 78, one of the volunteers who started the project, said: “The churchyard was in a poor state having been covered in masses of ivy for many years.

"We’re hoping to develop an environmentally friendly nature area for the benefit of the community. We’ve had a lot of encouragement so far and work is ongoing.”

The project started in October 2019, and was subsequently delayed for several months due to the coronavirus lockdown.

But Mary said it has now restarted and made big progress.

So far, volunteers working on the graveyard have removed large amounts of ivy, built a dead hedge pathway, and added a number of trees and flowers.

Once complete, volunteers hope it will attract more people to the church, and even some wildlife such as birds, squirrels, rabbits and hedgehogs.

Work on the graveyard has once again been put on hold after the North East was placed under increased restrictions, but volunteers are hoping to resume the restoration as soon as it is safe to do so.

A message from the Editor:

The state of the graveyard before work began

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