Surveying Churchyards
Churchyards are special places. There are approximately 800 churches with churchyards in Norfolk, a higher number than in any other county in England. Norfolk also has the highest density of medieval churches in the world and the earliest churches have very species-rich churchyards. The churchyard habitat is therefore of great importance and often contains areas of ancient grassland, which provides an important refuge for a number of wild flowers, mosses, ferns, fungi and lichens as well as some very old and interesting trees. However, it is estimated that only 15% of churchyards in Norfolk are actively managed for conservation.
Conducting a wildlife survey of your local churchyard, or cemetery, could help to identify its importance for local wildlife and perhaps pave the way for a long-term conservation programme.
What makes Norfolk’s churchyards so special?
Many Norfolk churchyards are remnants of ancient meadows that were once used for hay or pasture. In some cases, the churchyard is now the only remaining area of ‘unimproved’ species-rich grassland in the parish. In Norfolk, churchyards today provide the main refuge for six different wild flowers, three species of fern and about forty different lichens.
Churchyards and cemeteries also provide quiet, safe areas for slow worms and common lizards and many have very old trees, especially yew, within their boundaries. Sheltered, sunny churchyard areas may also support many butterfly and moth species.
A Habitat Action Plan (HAP) for Norfolk churchyards was set up in 2006, with the aim of increasing the number of churchyards in active, conservation management. The Churchyard Habitat Action Plan can be viewed by visiting
www.norfolkbiodiversity.org
Bats in the belfry…?
Bats are one of the animals most associated with churches and although ‘bats in the belfry’ is a common saying, bats are more likely to be found roosting in porches or the church roof. Belfries can be too draughty and noisy for bats, especially when bells are rung.
Bats and their roosts are protected by law and they should not be disturbed. If you need expert help, the
Bat Conservation Trust runs the National Bat Helpline (0845 1300 228), providing information to anyone needing advice on how to live with bats in your church.
Why not start a simple survey today?
If you are planning to conduct a survey of your local churchyard or cemetery, you should first contact the local church warden or management agency (most likely parish or district councils) to advise them of your intentions. It may be that the area in question has already been surveyed under the Norfolk Churchyard Conservation Scheme and/or is managed by a local group. Your surveys could therefore serve to enhance existing conservation plans and could be targeted at areas needing special attention.
If no special conservation programme is in place it would still be useful to liaise with the church warden to ensure that they are happy with your plans and to get their agreement to considering any habitat management recommendations you may wish to make. It will also be necessary to take into account the sometimes conflicting requirements and expectations of various groups, for example genealogists who may require monuments to be free of vegetation, and those tending recent graves who will often wish for the immediate area to be kept clean and tidy.
Some practical steps to take:
- Produce a sketch map of the churchyard, showing areas of special importance for wildlife and explaining why
- Identify areas in need of extra work to restore or maintain their interest
- Encourage local schools to use the area for educational visits
- Designate the best wild flower areas as conservation areas. Mark these areas with posts and/or signs so that visitors to the churchyard understand why the grass has been left uncut. Be practical when considering the location of conservation areas – do not choose areas where there are a lot of tended or recent graves, or areas where leaving the grass uncut during summer may be unpopular
- Obtain advice on a suitable mowing regime for your conservation area. We have a range of information sheets on churchyard management
- The Norfolk Churchyard Conservation Scheme can help with free practical management by signing you up to a work scheme run jointly by NWT and the Norfolk Probation Service, or by putting you in touch with volunteers. Alternatively you may be able to get help from organisations such as Rural Action.
Need some inspiration?
Discover just some of the churchyard surveys people have been carrying out in Norfolk.
Would you like to tell us about your churchyard survey?
Click here.
Download churchyard survey forms here.
Need help? Why not join the club…?
The Norfolk Churchyard Conservation Scheme was established in 1981 and is run by Norfolk Wildlife Trust in collaboration with the Diocese of Norwich. Nearly half of Norfolk’s parish churches are registered under the scheme, which aims to help churches manage their churchyards to protect the plant species of particular interest while observing the main requirements of the church. Advice and survey are available on request. Email
wild@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk or telephone 01603 598333.
Would you like help identifying ferns?
Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society has brought out a comprehensive guide to the ferns of Norfolk. For further information visit:
www.nnns.org.uk
Raising awareness…
Conservation area signs – Put up weatherproof plaques for conservation areas to avoid people thinking the area has been neglected. These are available from Norfolk wildlife Trust. You could also consider labelling items of particular interest such as unusual wild flowers or ancient trees.
Conservation posters – A laminated poster is available from Norfolk Wildlife Trust for use in the church porch or notice board to explain what is being done in the churchyard and why.
Articles – in the parish magazine can explain what you are doing and why you are doing it.
Engage the local community and church congregation in celebration of the wildlife to be found in their churchyard.
Community events – such as putting up bird boxes or bat watching in and around the churchyard are a great way to raise awareness of the importance of the area for wildlife.
For advice on all aspects of churchyard management and copies of the information mentioned above email
wild@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk or phone 01603 598333.
Don’t know a pignut from a bedstraw? Help is at hand…
Identifying some wild flowers can be difficult for the beginner, but help is at hand. As well as the references given at the end of this page, you can take a photograph of the whole flower including the stem and also a close-up of the flower head and email it to Norfolk Wildlife Trust at
wild@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk or upload your photo here.
Like your lichens?
If you do fancy having a go at identifying lichens the Open Air Laboratories Network (OPAL) is running an Air Survey which provides everything a beginner will need to conduct a simple lichen survey.
Visit their
website for more information including an identification guide.
For all your churchyard surveying needs…
You may find the following books, dvds, cds and equipment helpful when carrying out a churchyard survey:
Please watch this space we will be updating this section shortly.
Get the low down on Norfolk churchyard wildlife
Related questions
Surveying churchyards – How do I find out what habitats are present in our churchyard or cemetery?
The churchyard or cemetery will probably hold a wide diversity of wildlife; comprehensively surveying churchyards with attention to identifying all species present, however, may not be possible or practical. It might be more manageable to instead concentrate on undertaking a general habitat survey, which will identify areas likely to be especially important for wildlife.
Having gained an appreciation of the key habitats present, you can then select one or more areas to survey more intensively. You may decide to undertake specific surveys (on birds or butterflies, for example), in which case you can use the techniques and survey forms in the appropriate section of the website.
Surveying churchyards – Can I find any wild flower species associated with ancient grassland?
Use survey form v.
Norfolk’s churchyards provide important refuges for six wild flower species. These are:
- Burnet-saxifrage – Pimpinella saxifrage
- Cowslip – Primula veris
- Lady’s bedstraw – Galium verum
- Meadow saxifrage – Saxifraga granulate
- Oxeye daisy – Leucanthenum vulgare
- Pignut – Conopodium majus
Surveying churchyards could unearth a local population of these beautiful wild flowers - why not try and find them?
Click here for techniques on how to survey for wild flowers.
Surveying churchyards – What species of mosses, ferns and lichens occur in our churchyard?
Use survey form v.
Natural stone outcrops are scarce in Norfolk. The variety of stone used in Norfolk church walls and gravestones represents a valuable habitat, providing niches for many lichens, mosses and ferns. Old limestone headstones are excellent sites for lichens, but many also occur on mortar of church walls, especially those made of flint.
About 75% of the Norfolk population of three scarce ferns - wall-rue, black spleenwort and maidenhair spleenwort - grow on stonework in churchyards. Other stonework plants include pellitory-of-the-wall (90% of its Norfolk population is in churchyards), wallflower and wall lettuce.
About a quarter of Norfolk’s 321 lichen species are found in churchyards; 20 of these species have the majority of their sites in churchyards and a further 20 are entirely confined to them. Old limestone headstones, the mortar of flint work and limestone tombs, cornerstones and window sills can all have their special lichens. If requested, church architects can often ensure lichens are conserved during work to these structures.
Identification of these groups is quite a specialist area and the best way to go about surveying churchyards in this way would be to enlist the help of an expert group. Email
wild@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk or phone 01603 598333 with your request.