The Churchyard of St John the Baptist, Lea Marston

One afternoon last week I visited the churchyard of St John the Baptist, Lea Marston, to do a Big Butterfly Count. In the past when I have visited there has been a large wild flower area at the rear of the churchyard full of Betony.

The restored nave of the church dates to ~1300 and the porch is 15th century. The chancel and tower date to the 1870's. I've never actually been inside the church as it is always locked with lots of posters warning thieves to stay away - a sad indictment of our times. On one visit there were a few ladies cleaning the church and arranging flowers for a wedding the next day - I regret at times not being pushy and asking if I could have a quick look round.

Sadly the wild flower area seems to have shrunk somewhat in size although there are still areas of grass left uncut and some flowers.

A cranesbill geranium?

Knapweed

Mallow

And even a few harebells.

There are still a few patches of Betony.

As with previous summer visits Ragwort was covered in Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars

Gatekeeper on Ragwort

During the 15 minute count I saw

Gatekeeper x 6
Meadow Brown x 2
Ringlet x 1
Large White x 1
Speckled Wood x 1

I spotted a few Mint Moths and a dragon and damselfly were whizzing around but far too fast for me to identify.

On my last summer visit there I saw many Skippers but couldn't find one this time.



There are lot of old tombstones in the churchyard

This gravestone was particularly poignant as it is for Sarah Caroline, daughter of John Hewens and Susan Middleton who died in January 1872 aged just four months.

I have been going through some Parish Registers for Broseley online recently (all free and posted by the Broseley History Society) looking for family records and it is so sad to see records of children baptised and then buried a few days, months or years after. Occasionally too a mother is buried around the time her child was baptised which seems possibly to mean a death from childbirth - all so sad.