Geograph - photograph every grid square

Primroses in the churchyard, Longhirst

Primrose (Primula vulgaris)

The primrose is a perennial spring flower whose leaves are deeply veined and wrinkled. The single pale yellow flower, which grow on a reddish stalk, are tubular at the base and divide into five heart-shaped petals.

The tender young leaves and flowers can be used in salads, as they were in the magnificent 'sallets' of Elizabethan times which included twenty to thirty different kinds of leaves, flowers, roots and herbs. The flowers may be candied or made into tea which is used as a gentle sedative. An ointment can be made from the plant for treating skin complaints and stiff joints.

The churchyard contains burials from many generations, showing the Church's concern for its parishioners in this life and beyond the grave. The stones tell the history of the Parish and reflect changing attitudes and fashions.