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 1 - 50 of 107 results
Taxa No. of records Most recent record
Acer pseudoplatanus (Sycamore) 1 1997
Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) 3 2023
Adalia decempunctata (10-spot Ladybird) 1 2014
Agrostis capillaris (Common Bent) 1 1997
Aira praecox (Early Hair-grass) 1 1997
Anthocharis cardamines (Orange-tip) 1 2014
Anthocoris nemorum (Common Flower Bug) 1 2014
Anthophora furcata (Fork-tailed Flower Bee) 1 2023
Apis mellifera (Western Honey Bee) 1 2021
Apus apus (Swift) 1 2020
Armillaria 1 2010
Arrhenatherum elatius (False Oat-grass) 1 1997
Asplenium ruta-muraria (Wall-rue) 2 2023
Bellis perennis (Daisy) 1 1997
Bembidion quadrimaculatum 1 2014
Beris chalybata (Murky-legged Black Legionnaire) 1 2014
Betula pubescens (Downy Birch) 1 1997
Bombus hypnorum (Tree Bumblebee) 1 2021
Calluna vulgaris (Heather) 1 1997
Capsella bursa-pastoris (Shepherd's-purse) 1 1997
Carabidae (Carabid Beetle) 1 2021
Cardamine pratensis (Cuckooflower) 1 1997
Cerastium fontanum (Common Mouse-ear) 1 1997
Cerastium semidecandrum (Little Mouse-ear) 1 1997
Chamerion angustifolium (Rosebay Willowherb) 1 2022
Cheilotrichia cinerascens 1 2014
Cirsium vulgare (Spear Thistle) 1 1997
Clitocybe fragrans (Fragrant Funnel) 1 2010
Crepis vesicaria (Beaked Hawk's-beard) 1 1997
Cuphophyllus virgineus var. virgineus (Snowy Waxcap) 1 2010
Cymbalaria muralis (Ivy-leaved Toadflax) 1 1997
Cynosurus cristatus (Crested Dog's-tail) 1 1997
Dactylis glomerata (Cock's-foot) 1 1997
Dascillus cervinus (Orchid Beetle) 1 2021
Dichrorampha aeratana (Obscure Drill) 1 2019
Dichrorampha alpinana (Broad-blotch Drill) 1 2019
Dilophus febrilis (Fever Fly) 1 2014
Empoasca vitis 1 2014
Epilobium ciliatum (American Willowherb) 1 1997
Epilobium tetragonum (Square-stalked Willowherb) 1 1997
Festuca rubra (Red Fescue) 1 1997
Forficula auricularia (Common Earwig) 1 2014
Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop) 1 2020
Galium aparine (Cleavers) 1 1997
Galium verum (Lady's Bedstraw) 1 1997
Geoglossum cookeanum 1 2010
Geomyza tripunctata 1 2014
Geranium robertianum (Herb-Robert) 1 1997
Geum urbanum (Wood Avens) 1 1997
Gliophorus psittacinus (Parrot Waxcap) 1 2010

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

Data sets Licence Records