Help clean up cemetery

Residents are being encouraged to dig out their garden tools and take part in the third - and hopefully final - clean up session of Sutton Cemetery.
Sutton Cemetery.Sutton Cemetery.
Sutton Cemetery.

The churchyard of St Mary Magdalene church has undergone something of a transformation since local Ashfield District councillors decided to take action to spruce it up.

Tonnes of undergrowth have already been cleared and trees that had grown too large or self-set have been chopped back.

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With three-quarters of the site already cleaned up, Sutton councillor Jim Aspinall is urging members of the community to come along this Saturday and help finish the job.

“We are asking for anyone to come along,” he said.

“Bring a pair of shears, a rake or a brush and make sure you wear a sensible pair of shoes.”

The cemetery clean up has already uncovered dozens of forgotten-about graves, some of which the Sutton Living History Society is looking into the significance of.

A symbolic Cedar of the Lebanon tree is being planted in the churchyard and the vicar of St Mary’s will carry out a service of dedication at the planting.

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Hundreds of bulbs will also be planted to ensure a beautiful display of flowers in the spring, with local funeral directors A Wass, in Sutton, and Ken Gregory and Sons, in Kirkby, having made donations to make this possible.

Said Coun Aspinall: “I am hoping we can get all of this done so that over the winter, the leaves will mulch into the ground and come spring we will have a lovely churchyard.”

The idea for the clean up came because councillors were receiving complaints from members of the public about the state of the cemetery.

Coun Aspinall added: “It’s become a labour of love really and it’s amazing what’s been uncovered.

“It’s also amazing what you can do when you mobilise the community.”

The clean up will take place during Saturday morning, starting at around 9.30am.

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