N.B. Building Works May Impact on this Plan

Context

The churchyard is managed for the benefit of wildlife with the aim of both increasing the biodiversity and providing a calm and restful environment to remember those buried within. Everyone is encouraged to care for their loved one’s grave with this in mind. The use of annual flowers instead of grass on graves is encouraged – the RHS have a recommended list of Pollinator friendly plants which will increase the provision of pollen and nectar available within the churchyard.

Please adhere to the following:

No herbicides (weedkillers) to be used anywhere within the churchyard.

Any green waste to be added to the compost bin.

Clippings always to be collected and removed whenever grass is cut. Please add to the compost bin NOT the dustbin.

Short grass should be no shorter than 2 inches.

No strimming to be done anywhere between March and July other than in the new/tended graves area and then only undertaken with care for any wildlife/flowers which may be present.

Area A

This covers the area from the church gate leading from the road to the South porch (just past the boiler shed to the west of the church.

This area has a large amount of spring flowers as well as a good show of summer flowers (including an orchid) so regular cutting will be limited to pathways for most of the growing season. Fungi are visible in spring and autumn occasionally. One small area forms tussocky grass adjacent to the hedge-line, part of which may be cut each year. The rest of the area will have a complete cut once a year sometime between September and the end of October. The edge to the path is kept short all year, with allowance made for wildflowers blooming and setting seed in this stretch

The regularly tended graves in this area where families have asked for grass to be kept short are kept cut, as is the war grave. A margin of tall grass is left by the hedge-line.

Area B

This area is at the rear of the church (facing south looking towards the river) and contains most of the newer/regularly tended graves. It is dealt with in two different ways.

Area B1 - Where the newest/regularly visited graves are located, the aim is for as much of the grass area as volunteer time allows to be kept between short and medium length (2 to 6 inches). Mowing is primarily focused on ensuring access paths between graves, avoiding flowering wildflowers which are not cut until seed has set and ripened. The aim is for cutting to be at least once every three weeks with as many of the levelled and grassed graves also cut on a regularly basis as time allows.

A wide circle is left long under each tree for the whole season to allow the tree roots space and to reduce compaction. An area in the west corner is left long for the whole growing season, and a margin of tall grass is left by the hedge-line.

Area B2 - The second part of the area is left to grow long for the whole growing season with a mown path to the compost bin. This long grass area will be cut by the end of October.

Area C

This area covers the ground between the two church gates following the roadside boundary wall up to the path around the church.

Only two tended graves in this area. Cuts are monthly during the growing season (equates to short/medium length) with patches of flowering wildflowers left to seed.

Area D

This area covers the ground from the roadside wall up to the lime tree/compost bin, following the east face of the church.

There are three tended graves in this area. These will be accessed by means of paths from the compost bin and path around the church. Some areas will be cut after the spring flowers have set seed (mid to late July) and then possibly once more by the end of October. The area where an orchid has bloomed in the past will be allowed to grow long to (hopefully) allow it to bloom again.

The remainder of this area is being allowed to become a tussocky grass area for winter cover for small mammals and hibernating caterpillars. A section may be cut every other year, ideally during October.

If you have some spare time and would like to help us manage our grass areas for wildlife please contact the Churchwarden.