Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition
Many Congratulations to St Michael’s, Alphington – this year’s Best Churchyard in Devon.
A churchyard in the suburbs of Exeter has won the accolade of Devon CPRE’s Best
Churchyard 2023. St Michael’s Church in Alphington was named the winner at an
awards ceremony held as part of our charity’s AGM at RHS Rosemoor
in Torrington. Selaine Saxby MP (North Devon) did the honours, presenting the winning team with
an oak plaque and a cheque for £200.
Head Judge, Devon CPRE trustee Ivan Buxton, praised St Michael’s saying, “It was
one of the first churchyards we went to this year and our visit happened to coincide
with a day when volunteers were working in the churchyard. We were extremely
impressed with everything they had done and their enthusiasm was second to none.”
He added, “We are very proud of this competition because it has made such a
difference in so many communities, both rural and urban, where some churchyards
were somewhat neglected. We really congratulate everyone who has entered.”
The Rector of Alphington, Mike Partridge, accepted the award along with churchyard
volunteers Reg and Denise Williams. Mr Williams said, “It’s quite astonishing really.
We came to the awards presentation more in hope than expectation. We thought we
might be commended for the effort we’re making but winning has taken us
completely by surprise, and we’re delighted.”
This is the sixth year of the competition. Once again the two judges, Ivan Buxton and
Penny Mills, travelled the length and breadth of the county visiting the wide range of entries.
Entrants are marked on a range of criteria including their
initiatives to encourage wildlife (for example, installing bird or bat boxes, bug hotels,
hedgehog houses and ponds) and to make peaceful spots for people to pause and
appreciate nature. But it’s not a competition to see who has the most bird boxes or
benches! Other ways to encourage wildlife, for example, include sensitive mowing
and composting regimes and the maintenance of trees and hedgerows.
This year, both runners up, also new entries – St Mary’s at Dunsford and St John the Baptist at
Bishops Tawton – had set up larders to provide food for local people during the cost
of living crisis, which impressed the judges. Penny said, “We have thoroughly enjoyed visiting all the 2023
entries, including many new ones. It’s been wonderful to see how Devon’s
churchyards have evolved and improved since we started this competition six years
ago. With such a high standard, it’s been a tough job deciding the winners this year
and so we’ve made some additional awards in 2023 because so many entries have
been so good.
“Devon’s churchyards are often at the heart of communities and their upkeep and
maintenance rely on the hard work of volunteers. We hope our annual awards go
some way towards recognising all they do and saying thank you.” Congratulations to them all.
See our film of the awards ceremony – https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LGaNytkCDGs
2023 results:
Winners’ plaques awarded to:
● St Michael’s, Alphington, Exeter – Winner
● St Mary’s, Dunsford, Dartmoor – Joint runner up
● St John the Baptist, Bishops Tawton, North Devon – Joint runner up
Special certificates awarded to:
● All Saints, East Budleigh, East Devon – Exemplary Award for Consistently
High Achievement
● St David’s, Ashprington, South Hams – Best New Entry
● Gulliford Burial Ground, Lympstone, East Devon – Most Original Entry
● Holy Trinity, Buckfastleigh, South Hams – Excellence
● St. Swithun’s, Woodbury, East Devon – Excellence
Certificates of Commendation went to:
● St John the Baptist, Plymtree
● St Michael's, Trusham
● St John the Baptist, Broadclyst
● All Saints, Kenton
Certificates of Merit went to:
● St Thomas Church, Cowick, Exeter
● St Peter’s, Dalwood
● St Andrews, Moretonhampstead
● St John the Baptist Church, Chittlehamholt
● St Hieritha’s, Chittlehampton
● St Boniface Church, Okehampton
● St Marys, Hemyock
● St Andrews, Clyst Hydon
● Colyton Cemetery
● St Mary & St Peters, Salcombe Regis
● St Michaels, Kingsteignton
● St James the Great, Talaton
● St John the Baptist, Meshaw
Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition 2023
Could your local churchyard be the best in Devon this year?
Devon has hundreds of beautiful churchyards and they’ve really come into their own during the challenging circumstances of the last few years. Residents the length and breadth of Devon have appreciated their local churchyard like never before, so we want to really celebrate these special places in 2023 and celebrate the people who look after them – because they are all volunteers and they do a fantastic job. So we are inviting churches of all denominations to enter this year’s competition to find the ‘Best Churchyard’ in the whole of the county.
Devon CPRE applauds the volunteers helping to maintain and ‘green up’ Devon’s churchyards. During the challenging months of lockdown, many churchyards have become real sanctuaries for the local community – not just for church-goers. In some places, they’re the only public space to exercise and observe nature.
This is the sixth year we have held our churchyard awards and we’re hoping to receive more entries than ever by the end of March. The judges are not seeking the most pristine or manicured churchyards. They are looking for those which are well-managed to provide a peaceful haven for people and wildlife. Each entry is visited by the judges and assessed on a range of criteria, including the measures put in place to increase biodiversity.
CPRE Devon trustee and churchyard judge Ivan Buxton has been impressed by the standard of entries year on year: “We are particularly impressed by the careful management of these ancient burial grounds to create sanctuaries for the living. Measures to encourage wildlife and biodiversity have included bug hotels, mini-beast trails, ponds, bird boxes, composting areas, wildflower meadows and even gardens producing fruit, vegetables and herbs for parishioners to enjoy.”
Which Devon churchyards will make the shortlist in 2023? As well as the kudos of winning, there’s a top prize of £200 and a beautiful oak plaque, made in Devon from sustainable wood, to display to locals and visitors.
The deadline for entries is March 31st. The competition is FREE to enter. Simply download the entry form and more information below and see our short film providing ‘top tips’ https://youtu.be/ZcehK-NVCWU
Devon’s Best Churchyard Entry Form 2023
2022 Competition Results
We are delighted to announce the winner of this year’s competition is All Saints, Kenton, with runner up, St Michael’s Chagford, and two highly commended prizes are awarded to St Andrews’s Halberton and All Saints, Holbeton. The Most improved churchyard certificate is awarded to St John The Baptist Church, Chittlehamholt and Best New Entry Certificate is awarded to St John The Baptist Church, Hawkchurch. Congratulations to them all.
All Saints, Kenton was a Devon church on the verge of closure just a few years ago. But the people of Kenton, near Exeter, rallied to rescue their village church early in the pandemic. Through their sterling efforts, the green space around All Saints Kenton has become a sanctuary for people and wildlife that impressed the competition judges. Repairs have also been carried out to the fabric of the building and some of the graves, a new vicar has been appointed and the church has once again become a hub for the Teignbridge village.
This is the fifth year of the competition. Once again the judges travelled the length and breadth of the county visiting the diverse entries. The Covid lockdowns highlighted the importance of churchyards to local communities, particularly in places where other recreational areas and facilities have been lost.
Devon CPRE’s Penny Mills said, “Kenton thoroughly deserves to win this year. Just two years ago the church was under threat of closure and the churchyard was a neglected wilderness. But local people got together and turned around the fortunes of both the church and the churchyard in such a short space of time. Many small rural churches are in the same situation as Kenton was. It just goes to show that where there’s a will, there’s a way!”
Presenting Kenton with the winner’s plaque and a cheque for £200, Head Judge and Trustee Ivan Buxton added, “It was clear that All Saints, Kenton deserved to be recognised and we hope our competition spurs on other communities to make more of these precious green spaces. Devon’s churchyards rely on volunteers who put in so much hard work. We hope our annual awards go some way towards recognising all they do and saying thank you.
“It’s good to hear that our competition has also given volunteers ideas about what else they could do to help make their churchyard an even better place for both people and wildlife.”
Accepting the trophy on behalf of All Saints Kenton Friends Group, Jane and John Perkins said they had done their homework to improve their chances of winning by visiting previous competition winners. Jane Perkins said being named Devon’s best was an accolade to everyone in the community who had helped bring the church and churchyard back from the brink, “We wanted this to be a community space because in 2020 we lost our village shop, Post Office and pub and it would have been a tragedy if we had lost the church as well. It’s amazing to receive this lovely award.”
St Michael’s in the Dartmoor town of Chagford has received the Runnerup prize. The well-managed churchyard in the centre of the town is in regular use as a thoroughfare (for people and animals), yet the judges found not one scrap of litter on their unannounced visit. They were also impressed by the beautiful signs and noticeboards.
St John the Baptist Church in Hawkchurch, East Devon has been awarded a Best New Entry certificate. The judges described it as a beautiful and incredibly welcoming churchyard. In fact, the most welcoming of all the places they visited because the gate to the churchyard was open, as was the door to the church, and there was a lovely welcome sign which made them want to walk right in.
The Church of St John the Baptist, Chittlehamholt in North Devon has received the Most Improved churchyard certificate. The small churchyard is quite isolated from the village, but it is really well looked after. Following work to let in more light to help wildflowers to flourish, the judges were greeted with an amazing profusion of foxgloves and ox-eye daisies.
Two churches that have entered the competition before have been Highly Commended: St Andrew’s, Halberton in Mid Devon and All Saints, Holbeton in the South Hams.
At Halberton, the judges made special mention of the wonderfully detailed information about the Commonwealth War Graves in the churchyard – something other churchyards could learn from. They commended Holbeton for its amazing allotments with fruit trees, a little pond and wildflowers. A wonderful bug hotel had been newly built by schoolchildren for the Platinum Jubilee and new signage had been put up following the judges’ advice last year.
The judges always enjoy seeing topical touches in the churchyards – in previous years these have included a scarecrow in the form of a nurse as a nod to the work of NHS staff during the pandemic and a scarecrow depicting Captain Sir Tom Moore. This year, several churchyards commemorated the Platinum Jubilee, however, they were surprised that only two churches showed any visible support for Ukraine with a flag or ribbons placed outside.
Entrants are also marked on their initiatives to encourage wildlife. This can include installing bird or bat boxes, bug hotels and hedgehog houses but it’s not a competition to see who has the most! While they can be a nice project for schoolchildren to get involved and inspire others to create wildlife-friendly habitats, there are other ways to encourage this, for example, through sensitive mowing and composting regimes and the maintenance of trees and hedgerows.
Thank you to everybody who entered the competition this year. You all do an amazing job looking after these precious green spaces. We look forward to next year’s competition!
Click here to see a video of the winners https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf8XpLa8b7I
Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition 2022
Could your local churchyard be the best in Devon this year?
During the pandemic, Devon’s residents have appreciated the green spaces around their churches like never before and now we are inviting churches of all denominations to enter this year’s competition to find the ‘Best Churchyard’ in the whole of the county.
Devon CPRE applauds the volunteers helping to maintain and ‘green up’ Devon’s churchyards. During the challenging months of lockdown, many churchyards have become real sanctuaries for the local community – not just for church-goers. In some places, they’re the only public space to exercise and observe nature.
This is the fifth year we have held our churchyard awards and we’re hoping to receive more entries than ever by the end of March. The judges are not seeking the most pristine or manicured churchyards. They are looking for those which are well-managed to provide a peaceful haven for people and wildlife. Each entry is visited by the judges and assessed on a range of criteria, including the measures put in place to increase biodiversity.
Devon has hundreds of beautiful churchyards and they’ve really come into their own during the challenging circumstances of the last two years. Residents the length and breadth of Devon have appreciated their local churchyard like never before, so we want to really celebrate these special places in 2022 and celebrate the people who look after them – because they are all volunteers and they do a fantastic job.
CPRE Devon trustee and churchyard judge Ivan Buxton has been impressed by the standard of entries year on year: “We are particularly impressed by the careful management of these ancient burial grounds to create sanctuaries for the living. Measures to encourage wildlife and biodiversity have included bug hotels, mini-beast trails, ponds, bird boxes, composting areas, wildflower meadows and even gardens producing fruit, vegetables and herbs for parishioners to enjoy.”
Which Devon churchyards will make the shortlist in 2022? As well as the kudos of winning, there’s a top prize of £200 and a beautiful oak plaque, made in Devon from sustainable wood, to display to locals and visitors.
The deadline for entries is March 31st. Download the entry form and more information below and see our short film providing ‘top tips’! https://youtu.be/54rkTspHJwY
Devon’s best churchyard competition 2022 information
Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition 2021 – Results
Congratulations to St Andrew’s in Ashburton – Devon’s Best Churchyard 2021
Devon’s Moorland Team Ministry is celebrating its success after St Andrew’s in Ashburton was named the winner of this year’s ‘Best Churchyard’ award.
St Peter’s Burial Ground in Budleigh Salterton (East Devon) was runner-up. Three churchyards were Highly Commended: St Swithuns in Shobrooke (Mid Devon), St Swithuns in Woodbury (East Devon) and St Mary’s in Buckland Filleigh (Torridge). All Saints Church in East Budleigh, previously a winner and a runner-up, received a Certificate of Excellence and Holy Trinity in Buckfastleigh received a Certificate as Most Improved Churchyard. Certificates of Merit were also awarded.
In the competition’s fourth year, there were more entries than ever before. Devon CPRE’s judges travelled the length and breadth of the county to visit every entry and were impressed by the standards and originality of the work being carried out in churchyards by teams of volunteers.
Head judge and Trustee Ivan Buxton said: “Ashburton stood out this year. It’s amazing what they’ve done, and it was evident how hard everyone has worked. Arriving here, we were pleasantly surprised by the ingenuity and innovation employed to embrace the challenges posed by the pandemic and provide facilities for adults and children alike. Ashburton had taken the use of QR codes to a new and inventive level, with speciality trails and gentle challenges to encourage children and the young at heart to hop or jump around the perimeter of the church building. That was a lovely touch.”
Representatives from Ashburton, Budleigh Salterton and the three Highly Commended churches have been presented with sustainable oak plaques to mark their achievements. The winning churchyard also received £200, which Ashburton has said it intends to spend on seeds and bulbs.
Receiving the award on behalf of St Andrews, Volunteer Coordinator Geoffrey Histed said, “We’re delighted and it’s a tribute to a huge amount of hard work and teamwork by the volunteers. I was completely overwhelmed by the fact that we had won. We’ve got the biggest and the best green space in Ashburton and we want to share it with the church, obviously, and the town and we wanted it to be a joint project between the two. That’s exactly what’s happened and that, in itself, is as big a success as receiving this wonderful plaque that we’re going to put up with pride somewhere.”
Mark Rylands, Team Rector and Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Exeter, commented, “It’s just amazing. Two and a half years ago, Geoff and I had a chat about what this churchyard could be – an oasis, God’s Acre, we talked about – a space where people could come and unwind and unfurl, but also manage it properly. He has galvanised so many people. We couldn’t believe we’d won.”
Following their visit, the judges wrote in their report: Throughout the churchyard are thoughtful touches, well-planned to stimulate interest in the surroundings. They give a sense of place that invites sharing and caring and combine to provide a green oasis in the centre of this ancient town.
The main aims of the competition are to encourage the use and upkeep of churchyards so that they are welcoming to people and wildlife-friendly. During the pandemic, Devon’s residents have appreciated the green spaces around their churches like never before. In some places, they have been the only public space for people to exercise and be at one with nature during Lockdown.
Larry Sampson, Sexton at St Peter’s in Budleigh Salterton, said, “We’re very, very pleased to be the Runner-up. One of the pleasures of working here is that you do get compliments from people who come to visit loved ones, equally we have many people who don’t have loved ones laid to rest here and they come because it is just such a lovely tranquil place to be.”
Devon CPRE Director Penny Mills says it’s heartening to see how churchyards have responded in the four years the competition has been running: “We’ve noticed how churchyards have taken on some of the comments that we’ve made in previous years and it’s fantastic to see. There’s more being done for wildlife, for the environment and for people. Sometimes, it’s just simple things like a new welcome sign, bird boxes or a drinking bowl for dogs, but it makes all the difference.”
We’d like to thank everyone who entered and supported the competition this year. We look forward to next year! See our film here –
https://youtu.be/HJClKiXeCEc
Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition 2021
Could your local churchyard be the best in Devon this year?
During the pandemic, Devon’s residents have appreciated the green spaces around their churches like never before and now we are inviting churches of all denominations to enter this year’s competition to find the ‘Best Churchyard’ in the whole of the county.
Following a year with little to celebrate, Devon CPRE applauds the volunteers helping to maintain and ‘green up’ Devon’s churchyards. During the challenging months of lockdown, many churchyards have become real sanctuaries for the local community – not just for church-goers. In some places, they’re the only public space to exercise and observe nature.
This is the fourth year we have held our churchyard awards and we’re hoping to receive more entries than ever by the end of March. The judges are not seeking the most pristine or manicured churchyards. They are looking for those which are well-managed to provide a peaceful haven for people and wildlife. Each entry is visited by the judges and assessed on a range of criteria, including the measures put in place to increase biodiversity.
Penny Mills, Director of Devon CPRE, says, “Devon has hundreds of beautiful churchyards and they’ve really come into their own during the challenging circumstances of 2020. Residents the length and breadth of Devon have appreciated their local churchyard like never before, so we want to really celebrate these special places in 2021 and celebrate the people who look after them – because they are all volunteers and they do a fantastic job.”
CPRE Devon trustee and fellow churchyard judge Ivan Buxton has been impressed by the standard of entries year on year: “We are particularly impressed by the careful management of these ancient burial grounds to create sanctuaries for the living. Measures to encourage wildlife and biodiversity have included bug hotels, mini-beast trails, ponds, bird boxes, composting areas, wildflower meadows and even gardens producing fruit, vegetables and herbs for parishioners to enjoy.”
Because of Covid-19 restrictions, last year’s competition had to be run differently to previous years. The judges waited until after Lockdown travel restrictions were lifted in the summer to begin their on-site inspections. There was no official prize-giving ceremony in 2020 but the Winner and Runner-up were presented with their trophies in person, in informal visits observing strict social distancing. This year’s competition will be conducted along similar lines.
Which Devon churchyards will make the shortlist in 2021? As well as the kudos of winning, there’s a top prize of £200 and a beautiful oak plaque, made in Devon from sustainable wood, to display to locals and visitors.
The deadline for entries is March 31st. Download the entry form and more information below.
Devons Best Churchyard 2021 information
2020 RESULTS!
This year entries into our competition were spread far and wide geographically from the north coast to the south, from Dartmoor to the east of the county and all places inbetween! We all know that 2020 has been an extraordinary year and we really valued the number of entries submitted, fully understanding the restraints imposed on those trying to adhere to management plans and grass cutting regimes. The judges thoroughly enjoyed visiting every entry – they are all wonderful places and the volunteers who look after them do a brilliant job – our thanks and appreciation go to all of you.
In normal times most churches would have been entered during judging to see if graveyard registers or ancestry records were accessible. Sadly, many had to be locked, thus it was decided that any information contained inside the church buildings would not be included in the decision making on this occasion.
As with all competitions, a winner must be chosen, but as a mark of appreciation during this difficult year all those not awarded one of our prestigious oak plaques will receive a Certificate of Merit.
We extend our grateful thanks to each entrant and confirm that the winner of Devon’s Best Churchyard 2020 is St Margaret’s Church, Northam.
The runner up is St Swithun’s Church, Sandford.
Highly Commended are All Saints’ Church, East Budleigh and Point in View Chapel, Exmouth. Congratulations to them all.
We are already looking forward to next year’s competition!
Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition 2020 – Competition open!
Entries are invited from churches of all denominations from across the county to enter our Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition 2020. Entry is FREE – and entries must be received by 31st March 2020. Application form and more information below.
“Devon has hundreds of churchyards and they are beautiful places,” says Penny Mills, Director of CPRE Devon. “That’s why we believe in celebrating them and celebrating the people that look after them – because they are all volunteers and they do a fantastic job.”
“Over hundreds of years, Devon’s churchyards have come to form part of the county’s rich and varied landscape. Some churchyards have changed little over the centuries. They are much more than burial grounds or simply open spaces around church buildings; they are unique and special havens, green sanctuaries for people and wildlife.”
We held the competition for the first time in 2018, attracting eighteen entries. The winner was the parish church of St Andrew’s in South Tawton, just inside the northern edge of Dartmoor National Park. South Tawton’s churchyard has far-reaching views of the open moor, however, it wasn’t the setting which most impressed our judges when they visited. It was all the work that had been done to create an amazing place with a lot of evidence of management for wildlife.
In 2019 the competition attracted even more interest with the number of entries up by a third on the inaugural year. This time around it was East Devon’s turn to triumph. All Saints Church in East Budleigh was declared the 2019 winner at a prize-giving reception at Exeter Cathedral. The awards were presented by the Bishop of Exeter himself, the Rt Rev Robert Atwell, who chairs the Church of England’s Rural Affairs Group. Oak plaques were also awarded to Ilfracombe and Molland, joint runners-up, and to Kingsbridge, Dalwood and Littleham, near Exmouth, who were all highly commended.
We hope this gathering momentum will continue in 2020. The judges are not seeking the most pristine or manicured churchyards. They are looking for well-managed churchyards which provide a peaceful haven for people and wildlife. Each entry is visited by the judges and assessed on a range of criteria.
CPRE Devon trustee and churchyard judge Ivan Buxton has been impressed by the standard of entries: “Throughout the judging, we found hardly any litter and we were particularly impressed by the careful management of these ancient burial grounds to create sanctuaries for the living. Measures to encourage wildlife and biodiversity included bug hotels, mini-beast trails, an amazing pond, bird boxes, composting areas, some beautiful wildflower meadows and even gardens producing fruit, vegetables and herbs for parishioners to enjoy.”
He says, “Churchyards are true oases of tranquillity in our increasingly busy lives. Hallowed grounds which deserve to be celebrated as part of the rich tapestry of Devon’s landscape. The people who work so hard to maintain churchyards deserve special praise.”
Which Devon churchyards will make the shortlist in 2020? As well as the kudos of winning, there’s a further incentive – a top prize of £200 and a beautiful oak plaque, made in Devon from sustainable wood, to display to locals and visitors.
The deadline for entries is March 31st. Full details and an entry from can be downloaded here
Best Churchyard Competition 2020
Entry Form Churchyard Competition 2020
We are looking forward to this year’s competition.
Devon’s Best Churchyard 2019 is…..
All Saints, East Budleigh
Many Congratulations!
Judges’ Comments
Winning Entries – 2019
The quality of all the entries was high and the Judges were very impressed by the general standard.
Inevitably there will be disappointed applicants. They should not be discouraged. Determining winning entries from an exceptional selection meant there was a very fine margin between not quite receiving an award and success!
The notes made by the judges at the time of their visit are not intended to be all embracing and if something was missed or could be open to other interpretation, you have their sympathy, but as any referee will tell you, the decision is final!
Congratulations to all entrants. The winning churchyards are delightful and the Judges express the hope that the following comments might be helpful to all concerned in making this an extremely open competition.
WINNER. East Budleigh: The volunteer team presented an excellent entry application. The detail was second to none. Maintenance, planting and habitat management followed the publicly displayed plan. Extra effort entailed visiting many conservation churchyards in the South West. The standard throughout was excellent, meeting the Judge’s criteria and substantially improved on the 2018 entry.
RUNNER UP. Ilfracombe: People and wildlife clearly love this churchyard. The continued care and attention, embracing wide sections of the community and enhancing the wildlife habitat has paid dividends. A number of innovative aspects, such as planted areas for fruit, vegetable and herbs were of special interest.
RUNNER UP. Molland: The provision of a ‘pit stop’ for walkers and cyclist was unique among the competition entries. As were the ‘welcome’ notices for spiders made by the children on the bug house! Thought had gone into providing for people and wildlife.
HIGHLY COMMENDED. Dalwood: The welcome notice on the church door was both humorous and all embracing. Promoting the CPRE competition caught the Judge’s eye.
HIGHLY COMMENDED. Kingsbridge: The pic-nic tables and ‘Mini-Beast Trail’ encouraged young and old to take time out here and enjoy a break away from the town centre and retail park just a stone-throw away.
HIGHLY COMMENDED. Littleham-cum-Exmouth: The sheer size of this churchyard is a mammoth undertaking to keep under control, yet has been achieved, mainly through the efforts of one man. The variety of habitat, attention to detail and careful management are noteworthy.
Thank you everyone who took time to enter our competition, it was a pleasure to undertake the visits. We look forward to next year’s competition.
2019 Results and Prize giving tea – 25th September 2019.
We have very much enjoyed visiting every corner of the County visiting all the churchyards who have entered our competition in its second year. We received more entries this year, and a huge variety, which has been fantastic – thank you to everybody who entered for your support – so its taken a bit of time to get to them all!
We’ve discovered lots of bug hotels along the way, magnificent yew trees, an amazing pond, a mini-beast trail, bird boxes, pretty flower and shrub beds, lots of wild flowers, butterflies and bees, beautifully looked after and cared for churchyards, hardly any litter, and just really tranquil places to be. Well done to all the volunteers who look after them – you do a great job.
We have organised a special Awards Tea at which the results will be announced, to which all the entrants have been invited, to take place on 25th September 2019, at The Chapter House, Exeter Cathedral, and we are thrilled and very grateful that the Bishop of Exeter will be joining us for the occasion. We are really looking forward to it.
2019 COMPETITION – NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES!
Devon’s churchyards are so much more than burial grounds. They are unique and special places. Green havens of sanctuary for people and wildlife. Some little changed over the centuries.
Last year, we launched our first competition to find the Best Churchyard in the whole of the County. The winner was the parish church of St Andrew in South Tawton.
South Tawton’s churchyard is in a spectacular location, just inside the northern edge of Dartmoor National Park and at the heart of the picturesque village, with far-reaching views of the open moor. However, it wasn’t the setting which impressed the judges when they visited. It was all the work that had been done to create, in the judges’ words, “An amazing and revealing place with a lot of evidence of management for wildlife… an area that gives off an atmosphere of tranquillity and contemplation.”
Following the success of the inaugural competition in 2018, we are delighted to be organising it again this year and hope even more churches will enter. The judges are not seeking the most pristine or manicured churchyards. They are looking for those which are well managed to provide both a peaceful haven for people and wildlife. We encourage entries from churchyards of all denominations.
Could your local churchyard be this year’s winner? There’s a top prize of £200 and a beautiful plaque from sustainable wood, made in Devon, for the winner and runners up to proudly display. Details and an entry form are in the links below
Best Churchyard Competition 2019
Entry Form Churchyard Competition 2019
2018 CPRE Devon announces winners of its first competition to find Devon’s Best Churchyard
The parish church of South Tawton, on the northern edge of Dartmoor, has taken the prize as Devon’s Best Churchyard of 2018, in our new annual competition Kenn and East Budleigh were joint runners-up; Throwleigh, Ilfracombe, and Spreyton were all highly commended.
The results were announced on Saturday 10th November at a ceremony in the historic Church House at South Tawton, beside the now award-winning churchyard. Prizes were presented by the Archdeacon of Totnes, the Venerable Douglas Dettmer.
We launched the competition in the spring to celebrate the pivotal role of churches of all denominations in communities across Devon and the unique part churchyards play in our cherished landscape – as peaceful havens for wildlife and people.
The judges visited every churchyard that entered and were impressed by the variety and individuality of the entrants. South Tawton was named winner because it met all the main criteria of the entry recommendations and exceeded some of them. The judges’ verdict: “An amazing and revealing place, a lot of evidence of management for wildlife, yet it was still an area that gave off an atmosphere of tranquility and contemplation.”
Collecting the award on behalf of South Tawton, church warden John Candler said, “We’re absolutely delighted to have won, over the moon. It’s a lot of hard work, but well worth it and it’s a lovely place to work. Looking after our churchyard is a real team effort.”
The winners were presented with a cheque for £200, a congratulatory plaque in sustainable oak made by Devon company Inspirwood, and corporate membership of CPRE Devon for one year.
CPRE Devon’s spokesperson on wildlife, Ivan Buxton, judged the competition along with CPRE Devon Director, Penny Mills. After the prize-giving, Ivan said, “There are some 900 churchyards in Devon and they are extremely important for wildlife. Some have taken their wildlife responsibilities to the point where they do surveys of lichen, butterflies, and birds. So, they really do enjoy looking after their grounds for the wildlife.”
Penny Mills added: ‘Churches and churchyards are islands of sanctuary for people and wildlife in an ever changing landscape. Some haven’t changed for 1,000 years. They are unique and special places and we thank everybody who looks after them. The purpose of our new competition is to highlight the importance of churchyards and how they can be best looked after. What we discovered is what a fantastic job you all do. It’s our intention to run this competition annually and we will produce a short document teasing out the golden threads of best practice. This will be available on our website as well as details of next year’s competition.’
Devon’s historic churches play a pivotal role in our rural communities and form a unique part of our cherished landscape. After all, they are the only unchanged places in some parishes since Saxon times. Churchyards therefore provide ideal habitats for our precious wildlife.
CPRE Devon are pleased to announce a new competition for 2018 to determine ‘Devon’s Best Churchyard’.
The competition aims to recognise and reward Devon’s churchyards which are well managed to provide both a peaceful haven for people and wildlife. We encourage entries from churchyards of all denominations. With a top prize of £200 available, details and an entry form are in the links below.
Entry Form Churchyard Competition 2018
So if you think your churchyard is good for wildlife and/or is a special sanctuary for people, please enter our free competition!