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 176 results
Taxa No. of records Most recent record
Accipiter nisus (Sparrowhawk) 4 2004
Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (Sedge Warbler) 1 2019
Aegithalos caudatus (Long-tailed Tit) 18 2020
Aglais io (Peacock) 5 2020
Aglais urticae (Small Tortoiseshell) 1 2020
Alauda arvensis (Skylark) 3 2016
Alectoris rufa (Red-legged Partridge) 4 2012
Alopochen aegyptiaca (Egyptian Goose) 4 2019
Amblystegium serpens (Creeping Feather-moss) 1 2011
Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard) 5 2018
Anchusa arvensis (Bugloss) 1 2012
Anser anser (Greylag Goose) 5 2020
Anser brachyrhynchus (Pink-footed Goose) 1 2003
Anthoxanthum odoratum (Sweet Vernal-grass) 1 2012
Aphantopus hyperantus (Ringlet) 11 2020
Apodemus sylvaticus (Wood Mouse) 1 2023
Apus apus (Swift) 6 2018
Ardea cinerea (Grey Heron) 2 2016
Arenaria serpyllifolia subsp. leptoclados (Slender Sandwort) 1 2012
Arenaria serpyllifolia (Thyme-leaved Sandwort) 1 2012
Aricia agestis (Brown Argus) 4 2020
Athene noctua (Little Owl) 1 2016
Branta bernicla (Brent Goose) 1 2018
Bryonia dioica (White Bryony) 1 2012
Bryum rubens (Crimson-tuber Thread-moss) 1 2011
Bufo bufo (Common Toad) 1 1993
Buteo buteo (Buzzard) 7 2019
Calopteryx splendens (Banded Demoiselle) 3 2023
Cardamine pratensis (Cuckooflower) 1 1850
Carduelis carduelis (Goldfinch) 17 2020
Celastrina argiolus (Holly Blue) 1 2020
Centaurea scabiosa (Greater Knapweed) 1 2012
Certhia familiaris (Treecreeper) 7 2015
Cettia cetti (Cetti's Warbler) 1 2018
Chloris chloris (Greenfinch) 36 2020
Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Black-headed Gull) 19 2017
Clematis vitalba (Traveller's-joy) 1 2011
Coloeus monedula (Jackdaw) 35 2020
Columba livia (Rock Dove) 7 2017
Columba oenas (Stock Dove) 4 2017
Columba palumbus (Woodpigeon) 45 2020
Cornus sanguinea (Dogwood) 1 2012
Corvus corone (Carrion Crow) 4 2017
Corvus frugilegus (Rook) 3 2016
Cuculus canorus (Cuckoo) 2 2019
Curruca communis (Whitethroat) 2 2016
Cyanistes caeruleus (Blue Tit) 61 2020
Cygnus olor (Mute Swan) 1 2018
Delichon urbicum (House Martin) 4 2017
Dendrocopos major (Great Spotted Woodpecker) 16 2020

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

Data sets Licence Records