Thousands of hand-knitted and crocheted poppies now cascade from the tower of All Saints’ Church, Campton, in a community tribute to local service personnel who lost their lives in conflict, the result of ten months of work by dozens of volunteers.
A Remembrance drape made up of more than 6,000 hand-crafted poppies cascades from the tower of All Saints’ Church, Campton, honouring service personnel from the local community who have lost their lives in conflict.
The project brought together around 40 volunteers from Campton and Chicksands over ten months, beginning in November 2025, with residents knitting and crocheting thousands of poppies for the display. Each local service member who never returned home is remembered with an individually embroidered poppy.
Alongside traditional red poppies, the drape includes purple poppies in memory of animals lost in wartime and white poppies expressing a hope for peace. In total, volunteers created 7,198 poppies, with the remainder displayed in other remembrance memorials around the church and school.
The idea was led by villager Daria Taylor, whose vision inspired a community effort that saw many participants learn knitting or crochet for the first time. Daria shared:
“When I decided to undertake the poppy remembrance drape, I wanted to create something that deeply reflects the heart of our parish. I felt it was incredibly important to visually dedicate a poppy for each individual soldier who never made it home. It is so easy to treat history as just numbers, but every poppy on this drape represents a real person — someone who stepped forward in World War I, World War II, or in modern conflicts. They gave up their tomorrows so we could have our todays, paying the ultimate price for the privilege of the free life we enjoy. This project is a labour of love to ensure our local community holds their memory high.”
Liz Bishop was highly involved in the project, creating 530 poppies towards the display. She said:
“As a Brownie and Guide I always attended the Remembrance parade and felt it important to acknowledge those who served in WW1 and WW2. When Daria suggested creating a poppy drape, I am not sure I appreciated the number of poppies or the creative vision required. The result is spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed having a winter project where I could be included in the community I live in. I was delighted to reach 530 crocheted poppies! A photobook is being created to document the journey of this marvellous community project, to honour those who have served and who continue to serve their country.”
Joy Curtis shared how the project brought the community together:
“We all live busy lives, and even being semi-retired, time seems to be an even more precious commodity. Being part of this wonderful group of women has meant I have had a chance to meet up with villagers I haven’t seen for a while, to learn about what’s happening in Campton and to make new friends. Ultimately, I don’t think many of us realised back in November 2025 how significant this project would turn out to be, individually and collectively, for the church and village. It has been a labour of love, and now, over 7,000 hand-stitched poppies later, it is something we are all very proud of. Most importantly, our Remembrance Drape will hang from the tower of our ancient church, All Saints, at the centre of our village for years to come — a fitting reminder, tribute and memorial to the fallen of Campton and Chicksands who died in WW1, WW2 and in recent conflicts.”
The display also reflects the community’s continuing links with nearby Chicksands. The Joint Intelligence Training Group provided the camouflage netting used for the installation, while local schoolchildren, many from military families, have laid their own poppies at the foot of the tower.
Among the names remembered is a member of the armed forces from the local community who died in Ukraine just weeks ago. The parish continues to hold their family in its prayers.
The Remembrance drape will remain on display at All Saints’ Church throughout the Remembrance period, and visitors are welcome to come and pay their respects.
