KEMPLEY Daffodil Weekend, which attracts hundreds of visitors each spring, will have an added attraction from now on, thanks to the creation of a new wildflower meadow at the very heart of the village.

In fact, the meadow is located in the graveyard of St Edward's Church, in accordance with the wishes of William Lygon, the 7th Earl Beauchamp, when the church was built at the start of the last century.

Basil Jarvis, who is chairman of the Friends of Kempley Churches, and who is also the lay chairman of the Parochial Church Council, said: "In association with Dymock Forest Rural Action, the newly revamped Garden of Remembrance will be the focal point for this transformation, which is in line with the recommendation of the Caring for God's Acre project, for the conservation of nature in churchyards.

"Much of the future success for this project is the ongoing maintenance of the non-graveyard section. The boundary trees and hedgerows have been thinned in the past two years; and the flagpole area was cut in early July, following the setting of the wild daffodil seed."

An interesting feature of the meadow is the walled flagpole area, close to the lychgate, which has a bench where visitors can sit and admire the wild daffodils and other flowers.

Kempley and the surrounding area is famous for its wild daffodils. It is part of the "golden triangle" area which also includes Dymock and Oxenhall.

Mr Jarvis said of the new wildflower meadow: "We can look forward to an even better flowering, each daffodil weekend, and a valued piece of biodiversity conservation at the heart of the village."

Earl Lygon wanted the church to be " a chapel of ease", and the grade II* listed building, designed by Randall Wells, was described as "a mini-cathedral of the Arts and Crafts movement" by the poet, broadcaster and church architecture enthusiast, John Betjeman.