Wildlife in Churchyards

Living Churchyard and Cemeteries Project

Churchyards can be rich wildlife havens. In many cases, the land surrounding churches has been left untouched for centuries. In rural parishes, where much of the old pasture has been converted to arable cropping, churchyards offer virtually the last remnants of ancient herb-rich grassland. In towns, the churchyard may be an island of greenery surrounded by housing or factories.

The Living Churchyard and Cemeteries Project aims to protect the wildlife of churchyards by:

  1. managing grass cutting for wildflowers and insects
  2. conserving walls and gravestones with lichens and mosses
  3. conserving patches of woodland, shrubs, hedges, compost heaps and woodpiles
  4. in some cases, providing boxes for birds and bats

While introducing these management practices, the Project aims to maintain a respectful surrounding for the Church and its graves. The Project enables local communities to get involved in the management of their churchyards for the benefit of wildlife.

The WLCCP (the Wiltshire arm of a national body) manages about 40 churchyards and cemeteries in Wiltshire. The WLCCP hopes to show that birds, as well as other wildlife, are benefitting from the management practices they have introduced and WOS has agreed to help. We have provided a survey methodology and survey forms for volunteers to undertake bird surveys in some churchyards. We have identified ten sites for a pilot survey and hope to increase this number in future years.

The sites included in the pilot survey are:

St Nicholas, Biddestone; All Saints, Broadchalke; the cemetery at Bromham; St Bartholomew’s, Corsham; St John the Baptist, Hindon; All Saints, Leigh; St Mary, Redlynch; St Katherine, Savernake; Radnor Street Cemetery in Swindon; Wardour Cemetery near Tisbury.

Other sites to be surveyed in future are in: Aldbourne, All Cannings, Beechingstoke, Bishop’s Cannings, Castle Combe, Chilmark, Crudwell, Donhead St Andrew, Donhead St Mary, Draycot Cerne, Easton Royal, Ebbesbourne Wake, Fifield Bavant, Kington St Michael, Little Langford, Manningford Bohune, Netheravon, Oare, Pewsey, Ramsbury, Sandy Lane, Seagry, Shalbourne, Stanton St Bernard, Stanton St Quintin, West Ashton, West Kington and Woodborough.

If you are interested in helping to survey any of the above, or if you would simply like to know more, please email chair@wiltshirebirds.co.uk .