The Villedômer Garden in Stapleford is a small area situated in what is currently known as the Slaughterhouse land, behind the historic slaughterhouse building.
The garden celebrates the twinning link with our French friends and is maintained, for the village’s pleasure, by members of Stapleford Twinning Association. Any additional offers of help are always appreciated!
A direction sign sits in the centre of the garden showing the exact distance to Villedômer (731 km). There is a plaque, and some roses planted, to the memory of Peggy Holt who was a founding member of the Association, in Stapleford, along with her late husband, Harold, a one time headmaster of Stapleford Primary School.
Next to the plaque is a commemorative stone which was laid by the mayor of Villedômer, Mme Poiget, in July 1979, the date that marks the start of the Association.
On 3rd June 2020, the Stapleford Time Capsule was buried in the Slaughterhouse land and it included a copy of the Twinning charter, a resumé of a youth and adult visit, a twinning badge and contributions from Villedômer.
Time capsule ceremony – Jim Foreman, Chairman of Twinning Association at the time, Frank Fisher, the vicar of Stapleford, Steve Jones, and Colin Greenhalgh, Chairman of the Parish Council.
The Villedômer Wood is an area of woodland on Magog Down in Stapleford. The planting of five new woods, of which the Villedômer Wood is one, and the extension and strengthening of the original woods started in March 1991. In nine months over 20,000 trees and shrubs were planted. Only native British trees suitable to the local soil conditions were used.
The community in Villedômer contributed to the Magog Trust at this time as it has links with a nature reserve associated with the River Brenne which runs through Villedômer.
(It is rumoured that the path meandering through the wood is referred to by locals as the Champs Elysées!)
