Broseley volunteers restore 'jungle' churchyard

An overgrown graveyard likened to a "jungle" is being restored, thanks to a group of volunteers.

The Friends of the Red Church in Broseley are clearing vegetation and uncovering the stories of those buried.

Graham Hollox, the secretary of the group, said they had struggled to contact Shropshire Council, which took over responsibility for the maintenance of the site in 2009.

The local authority said it would be removing dangerous trees.

It also said it had a plan to improve the area and was "currently finalising the details".

Consecrated in 1767, the church was built to provide a place of worship for the rapidly expanding community drawn to work in the nearby coal, clay and iron industries.

The church itself was demolished in 1961 and Mr Hollox said the graveyard was badly damaged at the time.

He said what remained was now "an overgrown jungle with a few partly hidden gravestones".

Volunteers are currently waiting for permission from the site's owners, Hereford Diocese, to cut down trees that they say are damaging graves.

A spokesperson for the Diocese said it was working in "partnership" with the volunteers.

They added that a "faculty application" - similar to planning consent - was needed, partly to ensure the work would be carried out safely.

The spokesperson said that was expected to be approved, allowing the original church's footprint to be mapped out and gravestones to be made safe.

The Friends of the Red Church in Broseley aim to eventually conserve and restore the site so families are able to visit graves.

The group received a small grant from Broseley Town Council and The Gorge Parish Council, but have had to think of other initiatives to raise funds.

A pamphlet called Tales from The Red Church has been produced by the volunteers which tells stories of the church.

It had a rumoured history of being haunted and Mr Hollox said he had been told many stories from the drop-in sessions they have held.

"A gentleman told me as a young lad, the farmer he worked for wouldn't go near the church to retrieve his cow as he thought it was haunted," he said.

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