Churches, parish councils and community grounds in Charlwood

Churchyard grass cutting in Charlwood

Careful mowing round old stones and paths in Charlwood’s churchyard and community spaces.

Charlwood’s parish church goes back a long way. St Nicholas is Grade I listed, and its aisleless nave and tower date from around 1100. Churchyard grass cutting in Charlwood, there or in any old burial ground like it, means slow strimming round fragile stones, paths kept clear for funerals and visitors, and no rushing.

We work for churches, parish councils and community groups, either to an existing specification or one we agree together. Wildflower areas can be left long and cut once in late summer, and each visit is fitted round your diary. We’ll also leave alone anything your parish wants kept wild, such as a corner left for wildlife.

Churchyard grass cutting beside a listed stone causeway

The St Nicholas churchyard has its own Grade II listing for a stone causeway: irregular slabs of local Charlwood stone, laid to keep churchgoers out of the mud, probably in the 17th century or earlier. It’s a good reminder of what the clay does here in winter. Old paving like that needs a light touch. No mower wheels running along it, careful edging so turf doesn’t creep over the slabs, and hand strimming where the stones are uneven. The village’s Grade II* Providence Chapel, re-erected in 1816, deserves the same care.

Parish council grass cutting contracts and the Rec

Charlwood Parish Council also serves Hookwood and Norwood Hill, and it’s trustee of the Rec, an open space with football and cricket pitches, an outdoor gym and benches. Verges, memorial ground and closed churchyards often need someone to pick up a clear specification. We’ll price it line by line, cut to an agreed regime including cut-and-collect areas, and keep to the schedule. A single churchyard or several sites across the parish can sit on one contract.

Churches and councils in Charlwood: your questions

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

Can parts of the churchyard be left long for wildlife?

Yes. We’ll mow paths through the longer areas and cut the long grass once in late summer, then collect it so the ground doesn’t get richer and swamp the wildflowers.

Who is responsible for churchyard maintenance?

Usually the parochial church council. Once a churchyard is formally closed, responsibility can pass to the local council. Either way, we’re happy to quote and fit round whoever holds the budget.

Will you work around funerals and services?

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

Do you cut round headstones by hand?

Yes. Around graves and memorials we strim carefully by hand rather than risk a mower clipping an edge. Old stones can be fragile, and some lean, so we take our time.