Many of our native plants and wildflowers have religious names or links with Christian stories. Look carefully around the churchyard to see if you can find any of these... you can use the grid and the timeline below to try to identify them and when you might see them. The Snowdrop Galanthus is sometimes known as Candlemas Bells as it is normally in flower around Candlemas - 2nd February. Candlemas is also known as ’The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple’ and the ‘Feast of the Purification of the Virgin’. Luke 2:22-40 tells the story. Fritillary Fritillaria meleagris is also known as Widow wail or Weeping widow. One suggestion for this name is that it’s flowerheads hang as if in grief. Often flowers with a darker colouring were given an alternative name using the word ‘widow’.
According to legend, St Peter dropped the keys to Heaven, and where they landed Cowslips
Primula veris grew. The flowers were thought to resemble a set of keys, hence the religious
name St. Peter’s Keys or Keys of Heaven. The Germander speedwell Veronica chamaedrys is known as Angel’s Eyes.

Can you find the grave of James Darlington, manager of the nearby Black Park Colliery? Look out for a large stone taken from the banks of the River Dee - it’s said to be the very stone he used to sit on whilst fishing. During the mid 1970’s a number of gravestones were cleared and used as paths. Some have also been laid vertically near the new church hall. Look out for Edward Owen’s gravestone which tells how he left for work at Bersham Colliery one morning and was killed, along with eight others, in
an explosion on 3rd August 1880, aged 49 years. You can’t miss the magnificent Trevor mausoleum, erected in 1905. The angel statue inside contains the vault of 5 year old Mary. The Myddelton family of Chirk Castle’s plot can be seen next to the pathway. The family lived at the castle until 2004.

You’ll see a wide range of trees around the churchyard.

There are 15 Yews in total, including Irish Yews. In the north of the churchyard you’ll see a colourful avenue of trees including Holly, Weeping Willow, Rowan, Acer, Pine, Elder, Ornamental Cherry and Magnolia.

Look out for...

	The grave of Chirk Castle’s falconer, Robert Slightom.		World War I Portland Stone war graves.
	Magnolia flowers developed to be pollinated by beetles, not bees!		Buddleia, commonly known as Butterfly Bush due to their attractiveness to butterflies.

St. Mary's, Chirk Management Plan - click here

General Plan - click here

Detailed Plan - click here