ON the weekend that the Chelsea Flower Show came to an end a south Shropshire village came into bloom.

The annual three day flower festival in Orleton was on the theme of ‘English Country Gardens’ with a variety of arrangements.

At the heart of the festival was St George’s Church that benefitted from the funds that were raised over the Bank Holiday weekend.

There were also stalls at the nearby vicarage selling plants and books as well as providing refreshments that included ploughman’s lunches on all three days and homemade cakes. On Sunday (May 24) there was a special ‘Songs of Praise’ in St George’s Church.

The church dates back to Norman times although most of what remains is from the 13th and 14th centuries with a pair of Norman Romanesque doorways a particular feature. Perhaps the most important historical item in the church is the 12th century limestone font.