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About the project
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About the project
Location: Buckinghamshire
The project location
Tingewick lies in the north west of Buckinghamshire near the border of Oxfordshire. It comprises about 2,300 acres of mainly arable farmland and pasture with some woodland. It has a population of some 1,000 people. Part of the village lies in a Conservation Area and a number of the 400 dwellings are listed buildings.
The village has a church, a Local Authority Infants School with 28 pupils, a grocery shop and post office. There are three public houses and a community hall. Commercially there is a pottery, an auction room, an agricultural metal work factory, an animal feed warehouse and a farm supplies depot.
Tingewick is situated within the historic boundary of the ancient hunting forest of Bernwood, and nearby Tingewick Meadows are on the route of the flagship Bernwood Jubilee Way.
The nearest town 4 miles to the east is Buckingham, with Brackley (Northants) 6 miles to the west. The post-code of the churchyard location is MK 18 4QZ.
What the project is about
Purpose: To enhance public understanding and enjoyment of the heritage of the village churchyard, by involving members of the local community in investigating its history, flora and fauna, restoring its boundary wall, and developing a range of interpretations of all its aspects so that they become more accessible to people of all ages in the village, including people with disabilities.
Main elements:
The Natural History Heritage- Surveying the flora and fauna of the churchyard.
- In the light of these surveys, establishing a sustainable policy for the future management and maintenance of the churchyard as an environmental resource.
The Historic Heritage- Extension/completion of previous gravestone recording exercise.
- Researching the history of the graveyard and some of its occupants.
- Oxford and Lincoln Diocesan and local records
- Archaeological surveys
The Heritage of the Built Environment.- Restoration of historic wall and its main gate. Three sections of the wall will be professionally rebuilt by a skilled stonemason, with some volunteer assistance. Two further collapsed sections will be reinstated as far as possible by volunteers.
- The geology and sources of the stone in walls and gravestones
Encouraging and supporting volunteers- Involving local people in all of the above at all stages, through identifying expertise, briefing, training, master-classes and tutored field-work
- Developing the churchyard as an educational resource for local people of all ages, and especially children from the local infant school, and other neighbouring schools.
Managing and recording the project- Project team
- Web-site
- Still and Video photography (including video record of project)
- Database
Presenting the results- Producing an interpretative noticeboard, leaflets, CD and website
- Launch event, including a “son et lumiere” promenade re-enactment by the local drama group of key moments in local history as revealed in the graveyard.
The churchyard, which was formally closed in 1901, is attached to St Mary Magdalene Church, which is situated at the top of Church Lane in Tingewick.
Other project details
The project will be linked to a parallel church project which is aimed at developing the church’s facilities for young people, and improving access and facilities for the community as a whole. The fact that these two projects are moving forward in tandem will increase the profile of both within the local community.
The circular nature of the churchyard boundary is indicative of its having been established at very early period, possibly in the time of St Augustine. Moreover, there is evidence nearby of Roman settlement, and as the churchyard is on the highest ground in the area it might have been a pre-Christian site , possibly fortified.
All these are hypotheses which we intend to investigate via the project, We do not know the date the wall itself was built (possible in stages at different periods) nor where its stone came from. Again these are things we want to investigate via the historical, archaeological and geological parts of the project. We conjecture that much of the stone is from an outcrop of the Cornbrash, a shelly limestone quarried from small, shallow pits, and found in a string of villages along the Ouse valley, including Tingewick: again we want to investigate this.
It is important to recognise that the sections of the wall that form part of the bid cover only part of a much longer wall. As part of the project, as volunteers learn some essential skills from the stonemason, we hope to be able to reclaim and reinstate or conserve these other sections of the wall, some of which are in a worse condition that the first phase sections which have been selected for initial attention because of their imminent danger of collapse, and the heath and safety threat that is posed by this.
The churchyard lies within the boundary of Bernwood Forest, which is currently the focus of a major environmental and tourism project within Buckinghamshire.
Community support
Expressions of interest were initially sought via village newsletter “The Link”, Parish Council website and letter to local organisations.
A public meeting was held in the village hall on 6 September 2005. This was attended by over twenty villagers of all ages, many representing village organisations. The project received strong support at the meeting and volunteers signed up to offer practical help with every element of the project, as well as to express the support and willingness to participate of their organisations which include:
Tingewick Historical Society
Tingewick Horticultural Society
The Tingewick Players
Tingewick Women’s Friendship Group
Tingewick Infants School
Acorns & Saplings/Pre-School Group
Tingewick Parochial Church Council
Several of those present volunteered to join the project team as coordinators of particular elements
Involving the wider community
Members of the local community and local organisations, are being invited, and where appropriate offered training or expert supervision, to participate directly in each aspect of the project, for example:- assisting with plant, lichen, geological, historical and archaeological surveys and/or research
- extending the photographic and written records of the churchyard and its gravestones
- joining working parties to renovate the churchyard walls and gates
- developing a churchyard management policy and associated guidance
- producing interpretative and educational material and displays
- staging a re-enactment of historical events associated with the churchyard
The project will have a number of elements, typically organised through a series of stages beginning with an expert “master-class” for volunteers, attendance on course where appropriate, tutored “field-days”, photographing, data gathering and recording, interpreting, presenting/displaying and preserving/storing in an accessible form.
The local heritage of the area
The churchyard is itself a key part of the local heritage, both historical and environmental. Its circular nature indicates that it may have been the site of a very early church in the time of St Augustine’s mission to England in 597AD. The project will seek to verify and extend understanding of its early history.
Some examples of its later known historical associations which the project will seek to raise awareness of include: - In the churchyard at the South West Corner of the church is a headstone of one John Russe and his wife which is described in the book 'English Churchyard Memorials' as among the widest in England.
- Also to the right of the path as one enters the churchyard are three stones, one of which commemorates a seventeen year old boy, Richard Crichton, who was murdered in Tingewick Wood.
- The large obelisk memorial in the churchyard commemorates a former Rector, the Revd. Francis Edmonds who is remembered for his charitable acts and for his work as an Educationalist. The Edmonds Charity provided for the education and clothing of six poor boys and six poor girls in the village. He was also Rector of Fingest in Buckinghamshire and there he is commemorated by the modern Francis Edmonds Secondary School.
- Another Rector, Mr Risley, was tried for murder, and the mysterious death of a curate led to a Hue and Cry.
The project will seek to identify further local historical associations and their human background, presenting this information in accessible form for local people and children from the local school. Awareness-raising material planned includes- A communication programme running throughout the project to keep local people up to date with developments, via the website and parish newsletter
- An interpretation board within the churchyard
- 2000 + tri-fold illustrated leaflets for local visitors and tourists. This will be distributed to the 400 households in the village
- a project website
- a CD Rom for use by all local schools. (The adjacent Church of St Mary Magdalene already produces a guide for children, and a second guide to the churchyard would be produced).
- A stone will be placed in the refurbished wall to commemorate the event
- A video record will be made of the entire project
- A final event and historical enactment will be held, together with an exhibition in the village hall
In terms of the environmental heritage, the churchyard has for centuries provided a sheltered and relatively undisturbed habitat for a range of plants, insects and birds. Gaining a better understanding of this heritage, engaging local interest in it, and protecting it for the future are key aims of the project. The project is supported by the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), and appropriate parts of the project will be a local Living Sanctuary Project.
Continued and future project developement
It is intended that the churchyard management policy and associated guidance will be formally adopted by the Parish Council, thus ensuring long-term commitment to maintaining the churchyard in an appropriate manner.
The Parish Council will also take on responsibility for holding the project records, maintaining the website, and ensuring that the interpretative board and other material are kept in good condition and made accessible to the public.
In addition to the information that will be available to visitors on the churchyard interpretative board, leaflets will also be placed within the adjacent church. A copy of all the project outputs will be held by the Parish Council and be available to the public through the Parish Website or on request. A copy will also be placed in the local studies section of the local library, in the nearby town of Buckingham.
It is intended that overall project management will be undertaken by a local person with wide experience of project management at a senior level in local government. A project team is being established, to include the leaders/champions of each major element of the project.
All practical work will be conducted on the advice of, and where necessary the direct supervision of, appropriate specialist experts, most usually from the world of higher education. Professional contractors will be used for specialist work such as stone-masonry.
Steps will taken to ensure compliance with appropriate Health and Safety and Child Protection legislation, as well as insurance for volunteers.
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