Ecological summary

Burial grounds are fantastic places for biodiversity, often containing species rich grassland which was once widespread in the UK. The walls and monuments create habitat for amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and invertebrates as well as ferns, mosses and liverworts. Of the 2,000 lichen species in the UK, 700 are found in churchyards with a third of these rarely found elsewhere. Check for thrushes feeding on yew berries and swifts and bats under the eaves.

Caring for God's Acre is a national charity dedicated to supporting those managing burial grounds for conservation and heritage purposes. More information on the support offered can be found on their website here: https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk. To view the occurrence records in this burial ground click on the View records button underneath the map.

Ancient & Veteran Trees

The UK holds a globally important population of veteran and ancient yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales. There are about 800 of these ancient and veteran yews, aged from 500 to several 1,000 years old, with no known upper age limit. Burial grounds may contain veteran trees of other species.

Burial grounds may also contain veteran trees of other species, acting as hosts to a wealth of associated plants, animals, lichen and fungi.

Bats and Swifts

Bats – Bats use both the buildings and also the mature and veteran trees within burial grounds to roost, breed and overwinter. These places are relatively unchanging and so populations may have built up over centuries. In addition, bats may forage and feed over the grassland and other vegetation, taking advantage of the wide variety of insect species to be found.

Swifts – The eaves, roofs, towers and steeples of historic churches and chapels, combined with the space around them for accessing nooks and crannies make burial grounds excellent for nesting swifts. These buildings are relatively unchanging and so populations may have built up over centuries. Nests are hard to find and so surveying is crucial for good management.

[counting] species

This map contains both point- and grid-based occurrences at different resolutions

Datasets

datasets have provided data to the NBN Atlas Beautiful Burial Grounds for this place.

Browse the list of datasets and find organisations you can join if you are interested in participating in a survey for this place.

Other Heritage Information

Group Species

[counting] species

This map contains both point- and grid-based occurrences at different resolutions

Showing 51 - 100 of 172 results
Taxa No. of records Most recent record
Cyanistes caeruleus (Blue Tit) 53 2023
Cygnus olor (Mute Swan) 41 2023
Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Common Spotted-orchid) 1 2020
Delichon urbicum (House Martin) 17 2023
Dendrocopos major (Great Spotted Woodpecker) 3 2012
Dicranella heteromalla (Silky Forklet-moss) 1 1999
Dicranoweisia cirrata (Common Pincushion) 1 2000
Didymodon fallax (Fallacious Beard-moss) 1 2003
Distichium capillaceum (Fine Distichium) 1 2003
Drepanocladus aduncus (Kneiff's Hook-moss) 1 2000
Egretta garzetta (Little Egret) 1 2023
Emberiza schoeniclus (Reed Bunting) 36 2023
Enallagma cyathigerum (Common Blue Damselfly) 1 2018
Encalypta streptocarpa (Spiral Extinguisher-moss) 1 2003
Erithacus rubecula (Robin) 58 2023
Falco tinnunculus (Kestrel) 19 2020
Fringilla coelebs (Chaffinch) 47 2022
Fulica atra (Coot) 53 2023
Funaria hygrometrica (Common Cord-moss) 1 2000
Gallinago gallinago (Snipe) 3 2005
Gallinula chloropus (Moorhen) 55 2023
Garrulus glandarius (Jay) 14 2023
Graphocephala fennahi (Rhododendron Leafhopper) 1 2011
Grimmia pulvinata (Grey-cushioned Grimmia) 1 1999
Haematopus ostralegus (Oystercatcher) 13 2022
Hirundo rustica (Swallow) 40 2023
Hypnum cupressiforme var. cupressiforme 1 1999
Hypnum jutlandicum (Heath Plait-moss) 1 2000
Ilex aquifolium (Holly) 1 2022
Kindbergia praelonga (Common Feather-moss) 1 1999
Laburnum anagyroides (Laburnham) 1 2022
Larus argentatus (Herring Gull) 8 2023
Larus canus (Common Gull) 1 2013
Larus fuscus (Lesser Black-backed Gull) 23 2023
Larus marinus (Great Black-backed Gull) 1 2017
Lepus europaeus (Brown Hare) 2 2023
Libellula quadrimaculata (Four-spotted Chaser) 1 2017
Linaria cannabina (Linnet) 5 2023
Lophocolea bidentata (Bifid Crestwort) 1 2000
Lutra lutra (Eurasian Otter) 1 2003
Luzula campestris (Field Wood-rush) 1 2022
Marchantia polymorpha subsp. polymorpha 1 2000
Marchantia quadrata 1 2003
Mareca strepera (Gadwall) 4 2019
Melanitta nigra (Common Scoter) 1 2014
Meles meles (Eurasian Badger) 7 2023
Mergus merganser (Goosander) 3 2023
Mesoptychia badensis (Scarce Notchwort) 1 2003
Mnium hornum (Swan's-neck Thyme-moss) 1 2003
Motacilla alba alba (White Wagtail) 1 2018

Charts showing breakdown of occurrence records ([counting] records)

Data sets Licence Records