The ‘St Peter’s Reimagined’ plan supported by Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Urban Green project has opened up the churchyard as a welcoming place for visitors through an extensive programme of clearing dense undergrowth and rhododendrons and wildlife-friendly planting to create colour and interest throughout the year. Seating and paths have been created to enable visitors to enjoy the whole three-acre site and bug hotels, log piles and bird boxes have been installed to increase the diversity of wildlife.

A key part of the plan was always to create a Heritage trail to mark the famous graves including that of Mary Shelley and a Wildlife trail to encourage people to learn about the trees, plants which attract pollinators and the purpose of the log piles. These trails have now been installed by volunteers from the church and the local community and students from Bournemouth and Poole College who have been helping with the project over the last four months.