RHS: Britain in Bloom - Torbay Case Study

The Torre Churchyard is right in the centre of Torbay and surrounded by lots of houses. Although a public footpath ran through the middle, residents felt unsafe using it and the whole place was overgrown and full of rubbish.

Margaret Forbes-Hamilton, one of the members of the Torre Community Action Group, describes the motivation the group had for initiating the improvements, “When I moved here the churchyard was really unsafe, nobody would walk through it, there was ivy climbing all over the walls and the stones, it was full of drug users and loitering gangs. My house backs onto the churchyard and you couldn’t hear yourself think for the dreadful screams and noise that came from outside."

“We would find stolen goods and drugs, and coathangers under the trees… We couldn’t figure out why there were so many coathangers at first, but the community safety officers told us that when thieves stole clothes from the shops they would come here and quickly dump the coathangers!”

In July 2005 Margaret Forbes-Hamilton formed a group to rejuvenate the ancient churchyard of Torre. People immediately signed up to get involved, showing how much they were concerned about its rundown state.

At the end of October on National Volunteers Day, there was a grand launch, and a strong group of helpers turned up with gardening gloves and tools at the ready. Every Saturday since October there have been volunteers working to overcome years of neglect. The ivy is under control, the brambles are being managed to produce fruit for both residents and wildlife, while the bindweed is yanked out as soon as it sticks a leaf through the soil! Nearly 1,000 daffodils have been planted, and these will become a Marie Curie Field of Hope.

The shrubberies beside the church tower have been pruned and underplanted with primroses, violets and other native flowers being put in little pockets, while the memorial crosses are being looked after with respect. After a lot of pressure being brought to bear, waste bins were placed at either end of the church path. The council lighting department were persuaded to adapt two new light standards so that they were appropriate for the environment.

Margaret says the community has come alive now that the churchyard has been reclaimed by the residents, “Because it is right in the middle of the community, cleaning up the churchyard has made such a difference to everyone. It feels so much safer, everyone feels comfortable walking through the churchyard. With all the overgrown ivy and rubbish removed everything can be clearly seen so there is much less crime taking place there. I haven’t called the police in six weeks! I used to call them three or four times a day when I first moved here."

“The greatest achievement of the group has been to change the atmosphere and mood of the churchyard. It was always a beautiful place, but in becoming so overgrown it was a magnet for alcoholics, drug users and dealers. Many local residents were too intimidated to even walk through it on the church path. Now it is clear, open and well looked after. There are no dark corners to lurk in, and antisocial behaviour is nipped in the bud. There is a constant stream of people strolling through, and more tourists are also coming in to look around. Younger children now play here, and dog walkers stop and chat with each other.

“In other words, this treasure of a green space, with its hundreds of years of history, in the centre of Torquay has been reclaimed for the people who surround it, and value it.”

Torbay Case Study

Friends of the Churchyard, Torre Churchyard, Torbay

Torre Churchyard won an Outstanding Achievement in the 2006 Neighbourhood Awards.

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