Guidelines for Nature Conservation in Churchyards Diocesan Advisory Committee for the Care of Churches 2014
The management of churchyards in the Southwell and Nottingham Diocese CHURCHYARDS Nature Conservation Guidelines INDEX 1 Introduction 2 Maintenance and Management 3 Nature Conservation 4 Recording 5 Management Plan 6 Faculty or other approval: Further advice Appendices Appendix I Useful addresses/references Appendix II Information sheets included with this booklet Issued by authority of the Chancellor of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham
The management of churchyards in the Southwell and Nottingham Diocese CHURCHYARDS Nature Conservation Guidelines 1 Introduction 1 Churchyards have often been carved out of meadowland or ancient pastures and are remarkably rich in species. Even smaller churchyards of less than an acre often have well over a hundred different flowering plants and ferns. Many rare species, such as the greenwinged orchid and the adder s-tongue fern are especially characteristic of churchyards, which are often also the last refuge in the parish for cowslips or early purple orchids. 2 Some facts: Churchyards managed by traditional methods of cutting or grazing will have escaped artificial fertilizers and other chemicals Most churchyards contain a wide variety of different habitats such as rough grassland, closely mown grass, disturbed ground, stone, paths, walls and areas of scrubland or trees Gravestones and church walls can acquire a patchwork of up to fifty different lichens particularly valuable in an area otherwise devoid of natural hard rock Churchyards in towns and cities are often obvious refuges for wildlife in an otherwise completely unsuitable environment A healthy and varied flora creates an environment in which other forms of wildlife flourish 2 Maintenance and Management 3 PCCs responsible for the upkeep of churchyards often find difficulty in maintaining grassland, flowerbeds, trees and shrubs. A churchyard managed with sympathy for wildlife can be tidy and attractive to people as well as to plants and animals. It often entails less labour, reducing in particular some of the burden of mowing. 4 A well-managed churchyard should be: A pleasant reflective place for congregation and visitors A suitable environment for the burials and interment of cremated remains An appropriate setting for the church A haven for grasses, wild flowers, birds and other wildlife 3 Nature Conservation 5 Grass cutting can be done in such a way that a wide variety of flora and fauna can be promoted. Some areas regularly used by the congregation or for current burials and interments of cremated remains will need to have shorter grass. Other areas may only need to be cut infrequently with grass to a height of 3 inches and leaving the grass uncut from the beginning of June to mid-july. Areas rarely visited and distant from the church may only require cutting and raking once or twice a year in July and September. These can be left as
conservation areas providing a haven for small animals and a habitat for over-wintering for butterfly and moth eggs, as well as promoting the growth of rare plants and grasses. 6 Gravestones and church walls are important sites for mosses and lichens, which vary according to the type of stone, its age and how exposed it is to the sun and weather. As far as possible they should be left untouched as they do not harm the stone. In fact damage is often caused by trying to scrape them off. 7 Boundary hedges and walls provide shelter for birds and many other creatures. Hedges should be kept trimmed to preserve the vigorous growth and, if possible, a few feet of uncut grass should be left adjacent to the hedge. Where walling needs restoration, the work is best done in sections to allow ferns and mosses to re-colonise. 8 Trees provide shelter and food for birds and insects. Native varieties should be chosen and particularly recommended are oak, ash, birch, field maple, wild cherry, holly, rowan, whitebeam and yew. [See also booklet No 4 in the series on Trees in Churchyards.] 9 Shrubs, wherever possible, native species should be promoted. Depending on the nature of the soil, the following varieties are most recommended to promote nature in churchyards: broom, gorse, blackthorn, wayfaring-tree, guilder-rose, dogwood, hawthorn, sallow, hazel, spurge-laurel, buckthorn and spindle. 4 Recording 10 It is recommended that PCCs appoint someone from the community to provide a nature record of the churchyard based on a plan often available in the church records. A habitat map should be drawn up showing the main ecological features of the churchyard. There are specialist societies with professional advice available on the recording of the various species found in a churchyard. A good starting point is to contact the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust at the address below. 5 Management Plan 11 Once a habitat and species map is available PCCs may wish to promote a management pan, again in association with the Wildlife Trust or the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, or Community Service Volunteers. 6 Faculty or other approval: further advice 12 Faculty permission may not be required in nature conservation proposals or planting work in churchyards. It may be, depending on the work involved, that the Archdeacon can give approval. In order to ensure that legal requirements are met and proposals are properly recorded, early contact should be made with the DAC Secretary at the address below. A visit may be arranged and practical advice is available from the DAC Landscape and Planting Adviser. Mr F J R Stephenson Mr Jonathan Pickett DAC Landscape and Planting Adviser DAC Secretary 01949 21133 01636 817210 stephensonfjr@gmail.com jonathan-dac@southwell.anglican.org Jubilee House, Westgate, Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0JH
APPENDIX I USEFUL ADDRESSES/REFERENCES Church Buildings Council, Care of Churches Guidance http://www.churchcare.co.uk/images/wildlife_in_churchyards.pdf Caring for God s Acre (A key to unlock the treasures of churchyards and burial sites) 11 Drovers House, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 9BZ 01588 673041 www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk The Wildlife Trusts, The Kiln, Mather Road, Newark, Notts NG24 1WT 01636 677711 The Woodland Trust, Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL 01476 581111 Natural England (Head Office), Foundry House, 3 Millsands, Riverside Exchange, Sheffield S3 8NH 0845 6003078 Natural England (East Midlands), Apex Court, City Link, Nottingham NG2 4LA 0300 0601111 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Midlands Regional Office, 46 The Green, South Bar, Banbury, Oxfordshire 0X16 9AB 01295 253330 The Churchyards Handbook, Church House Publishing (4 th edition 2001)