IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Bida Lane, CONGLETON, CW12 3LJ

Postbox No. CW12 39.

This building serves as a community centre for the area,

Commemorating the men of the parish of Mossley who fell during the Great War, World War I, the Memorial is located in the north-west corner of the churchyard.

Located on the north-west corner of the church, for more information on this and other cut marks visit http://www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm37324 . For a wider view of the church see Image There are some lovely mosses and lichens growing around it. Lichens are comprised of two, or sometimes more, organisms that live together symbiotically; meaning that one organism requires the presence of another for its survival. The primary, or main, partner of this relationship is a fungus and the other one is a green alga; the fungal partner provides a sheltered environment for the alga, protecting it the elements and providing mineral nutrients. There are several types of lichen: Crustose, that forms a ‘crust’ on whatever it is growing on (the substrate). Some look like leaves and are called foliose lichens, others adopt a ‘shrubby’ form which are called fruticose lichens and there are also gelatinous, or jelly-like, lichens that absorbs and retains water; others look like hairs (filamentous), some are powdery (leprose) and some consist of small scale-like structures (squamulose). Reproduction is usually carried out by producing spores, but vegetative reproduction is also very common. They grow on a very wide range of surfaces-trees, stone and wooden fences to name a few. Lichens provide both shelter and food for many invertebrates including mites, snails, spiders and moths; they also provide material for disguising the nests of small birds such as Chaffinches, Hawfinches, Goldcrests and Long-tailed Tits. Because many lichens are sensitive to certain air-borne pollutants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, NPK fertiliser and ammonia for example) they are good indicators of air quality and the distribution data is often used in environmental and ecological management. There are thought to be in excess of 1800 lichens to be found in the UK, with an estimated 17,000+ worldwide. Mosses belong to a group of plants known as Bryophytes which are the oldest plants in the world, dating back at least 400 million years with over 600 species found in Britain and Ireland alone. They are conspicuous, low growing and rootless plants that absorb nutrients from the water that either runs over them or they hold like a sponge. They are considered a "pioneer" plant, taking over rock faces and wet areas and creating a humus layer thus allowing other plants to germinate and gain a foothold. Mosses are asexual, carrying both male and female reproductive organs, after fertilisation these organs produce a tiny capsule that, when ripe, releases thousands of spores which go on to reproduce the next generation.

Looking at the north and west elevations of the church, for a close-up of the War Memorial see Image Holy Trinity Church was originally built in 1846 as the parish church for the Mossley district of Congleton although there is some evidence of later work, including a new disabled access to the west door in 2010.

A small patch of Snowdrops growing on the north-west corner of the church. There is a benchmark on the extreme left of the picture, near the base of the pillar (see Image Although the Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) is native to many parts of Europe it is thought to have been introduced to Britain in the 16th century, since when it has become widely naturalised. The individual flower head is carried on a leafless stem and has six tepals (where the sepals and petals are indistinguishable from each other), the outer three are pure white and the inner three are notched at the tips and carry distinctive bright green markings. Snowdrops are early flowerers showing from January to March. Celebrated as a sign of spring, snowdrops can form impressive carpets of white in areas where they have become naturalised, particularly in graveyards and woodland areas.

This door has some lovely cast iron furniture and is surrounded by a dressed stone arch held up by two 'ionic' style pillars. In 2010 disabled access was created by the building of a stone ramp approaching from the right.

Holy Trinity Church was originally built in 1846 as the parish church for the Mossley district of Congleton although there is some evidence of later work, including a new disabled access to the west door in 2010. There is a bench mark on the north-west corner, see Image