Graveyard reaches final for Cemetery of the Year

Dating back to 1850, Bridgnorth Cemetery is steeped in history.

Situated on a site that has been designated as an area of Special Scientific Interest, it is split between old and new - with wartime graves at the bottom, and modern resting places at the top of its hill.

As well as being the home of two chapels, one which was built in 1855, there are about 120 species of wildflowers and an abundance of wildlife. It is a place where people not only pay their respects, but go to walk around.

Now, it is a finalist for the Cemetery of the Year competition, hoping for gold in the parish, town and community category.

The site is maintained by Bridgnorth Town Council and has its own team of groundskeepers.

The awards, organised by the Memorial Awareness Board (MAB), "celebrate high standards in cemetery management, including compliance with legislation, provision of modern services, and the creation of welcoming, well-maintained spaces for the bereaved and the community."

"We entered it, firstly, to show off what a beautiful cemetery it is, but also as you go through the questions it gives you ideas on how you can improve," said Amanda Dunn, engagement and events officer at the council.

The yes/no questions asked about things including memorial management; facilities; advice that is given to people; and information on the cemetery website.

"We scored 45 out of 50, gaining us either a silver or gold award, hopefully gold.

She told the BBC it would be "amazing" to win.

"The guys do such hard work down here," she added.

Dunn said the cemetery is unusually hilly, and people were often "amazed" when visiting.

"They just don't expect it, certainly from a cemetery. They say it's a very peaceful place to be", she said.

"It can be quite challenging when we come to dig graves, our gravedigger does it all by hand."

"We do have a lot of visitors come for the walk, you can walk all the way through so a lot of the locals use it for walking as well as for a cemetery."

She added: "A lot of people have this preconceived ideas that cemeteries are cold, spooky places but it's stunning round here and it's a very calm place."

One of the groundskeepers is Chad Wright, who said the nature he sees there is one of his favourite things.

"You get to see tonnes of it, buzzards, red kites… peregrine falcons and bees," he said.

"On top of the hill, you get a good look of Bridgnorth."

Working there, he said he gets in a "good few thousands steps per day", especially when strimming.

"Usually the first question is, is it haunted?… I don't want to say," he said.

He said that there were 33 war graves on site, with 18 from World War One and 15 from World War Two.

"This is their final resting place, it's really moving."

On potentially winning the award, he added: "It would be fulfilling, you're getting recognised for something that you do."

Speaking at the awards ceremony last year, Philip Potts from the Memorial Awareness Board said: "The awards are an excellent opportunity to reward hard-working staff and demonstrate the central role cemeteries and church yards can play in the community.

"They provide places of peaceful contemplation and beauty, as well as their historical, social and ecological importance."

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