St Helen’s church lies hidden down a lane 100m from the main road in Burghwallis. The congregation is steadily shrinking compounded by aging residents, covid and – in common with the vast majority of churches – every other excuse you can imagine.
Consequently St Helen’s is predominantly out sight and out of mind for many of the village. Thus when the need for a clear up of the churchyard comes round it falls to the parish residents to rally round. During the recent four day burst of activity a group of valiant Burghwallis volunteers besieged the churchyard to clear debris, ivy, and errant bush growth.
The collective efforts of the team filled six trailer loads that Mark and Tina relocated to a friendly farm, where it can rot down. Some feat, notable by the need to reverse a trailer down the 100m to the church.
During the clearance the team discovered four lost graves, hidden under grass and ivy. One grave was right alongside the Saxon cross outside the south door. Countless visitors have walked by unaware of the existence of the grave of a three year old girl buried there in 1712.
The churchyard has a listed gravestone to Grave of The Coward Family as well of that of Abbé Leroux, a French Catholic priest that escaped the French Revolution along with his charge Louise de Conde. They stayed, hidden in Burghwallis Hall until the Princess, growing homesick for France returned home to meet her fate on the guillotine. Abbé Leroux stayed on at Burghwallis Hall until his 93rd birthday. Abbés Walk is named after him.
Although the working party initially focused over three mornings there was still an amount to clear. Thus a further working party was organised for 11th November. Even now there is work to be done but the vast bulk is complete and the churchyard is once again revealed as the last resting place for many previous residents of the parish.