The Cemetery of the Year that's a wildlife oasis

A peaceful hillside cemetery which dates back to 1850 has won a Cemetery of the year award.

Bridgnorth Cemetery is situated on a site that has been designated as an area of Special Scientific Interest, it is split between old and new - with wartime graves at the bottom, and modern resting places at the top of its hill.

As well as being the home of two chapels, one which was built in 1855, there are about 120 species of wildflowers and an abundance of wildlife.

It is a place where people not only pay their respects, but go to walk around.

The site is maintained by Bridgnorth Town Council and has its own team of groundskeepers.

The awards, organised by the Memorial Awareness Board (MAB), "celebrate high standards in cemetery management, including compliance with legislation, provision of modern services, and the creation of welcoming, well-maintained spaces for the bereaved and the community."

Bridgnorth claimed the gold award in the competition's parish, town and community category.

One of the groundskeepers, Chad Wright, said there was an abundance of nature.

"You get to see tonnes of it, buzzards, red kites... peregrine falcons and bees," he said.

"On top of the hill, you get a good look of Bridgnorth."

Working there, he said he got in a "good few thousands steps per day", especially when strimming.

"Usually the first question is, is it haunted? I don't want to say," he said.

He said there were 33 war graves on the site,18 of them from World War One.

"This is their final resting place, it's really moving," he said.

Philip Potts from the Memorial Awareness Board described the awards as "an excellent opportunity to reward hard-working staff and demonstrate the central role cemeteries and church yards can play in the community".

Amanda Dunn, engagement and events officer at the town council said: "We entered it, firstly, to show off what a beautiful cemetery it is, but also as you go through the questions it gives you ideas on how you can improve."

Dunn said the cemetery was unusually hilly, and people were often "amazed" when visiting.

"They just don't expect it, certainly from a cemetery. They say it's a very peaceful place to be," she said.

"It can be quite challenging when we come to dig graves - our gravedigger does it all by hand.

"We do have a lot of visitors come for the walk, you can walk all the way through so a lot of the locals use it for walking as well as for a cemetery."

She added a lot of people had preconceived ideas that graveyards were "cold, spooky places", but she described Bridgnorth Cemetery as a "stunning" and peaceful location.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.