Churches, parish councils and community grounds in Bletchingley

Churchyard grass cutting in Bletchingley

Respectful mowing and strimming for churchyards, cemeteries and parish open spaces.

Churchyard grass cutting in Bletchingley means working round some very old stone. St Mary’s is Grade I listed, its tower possibly early 12th century, and its churchyard is a traditional one of standing gravestones, with several monuments listed in their own right. That calls for hand strimming, patience and a close eye on the church diary.

We work for churches, parish councils and community groups, on one site or several. We’ll follow your existing cutting regime, including cut-and-collect areas and patches left long for wildflowers, or help you write one. The same team comes each time, which matters on a site where families visit graves and like to know who’s working there.

Cemetery grass cutting on Godstone Road

Bletchingley’s cemetery on Godstone Road has been in use since 1850 and is owned and run by the parish council. It now has a traditional burial ground with a 2020 extension, a woodland burial area in its early stages of planting and a rose garden being developed. Each part wants its own regime. Close mowing and careful strimming suit the traditional section. Young woodland trees need a lighter touch while they establish, and roses want deadheading and a winter prune.

Parish council grass cutting contracts and open spaces

The parish has a fair spread of open ground: allotments at Stychens Lane and Little Common Lane, Tilgate Common managed for wildlife, and the playing fields at Grange Meadow. Some of it is let or run by other bodies, and the right contractor for each will differ. Where a contract covers mowing, hedges or verges, we’ll price against the specification line by line. We’d be glad to quote for any of it that needs a contractor.

Churches and councils in Bletchingley: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

Does your churchyard maintenance go beyond mowing?

Yes. We keep hedges and boundary walls clear, edge the paths and sweep leaves from paths and porches in autumn. Trees are for an arborist, and in the conservation area any tree work needs six weeks’ notice to the council.

How do you protect old headstones?

We strim by hand close to every stone and keep mowers well back. Older memorials can be fragile, so on uneven ground we’d rather leave a slightly longer fringe than risk a chip.

Will you work around funerals and services?

Always. We check with the churchwarden or parish office before each visit and keep away during services, weddings and funerals.

Can some of the churchyard be left as meadow?

Yes. We mow paths through the long grass so graves stay reachable, then cut the meadow once in late summer and rake it off. Taking the cuttings away keeps the soil lean, which is what wildflowers need.