Overgrown churchyards

[softly softly]

Not policy at St Leonards, Mundford, Norfolk. 

Regards 

Chas

I know your local area really well. Approaching the local parish council to see if they can offer some guidance is always a good starting point, as per Methwold, who have been really pro active on this front.

John

[Kiltpin]

Up until about 10 years ago, we used to have a small flock of sheep grazing the churchyard at least once a year. It only stopped when the farmer was killed in an accident while on holiday. 

Regards 

Chas

[hanes teulu]

The Welsh Church I attend (and my garden backs on to the Churchyard) used to use goats but they kept escaping because visitors failed to close gates. This happened as a matter of course when the druggies/drinkers frequented the site. Since then it's been a matter of employing a company to strim the site which makes a very big hole in the Church's slim finances.

[KGarrad]

My local churchyard, St George's Douglas, is maintained by Douglas Corporation.
They do a decent job.

One area is left untamed for pollinators, but that only has 2 mass graves. Cholera Pit from 1832, and the crew from a sailing ship (SS Minerva) in 1809.

[Top-of-the-hill]

  I am not sure that it is Church of England policy to "stop maintaining churchyards", but older parts may be left to grow as wildlife havens, and only cut later in the year. Newer sections are probably maintained more. I know little about graveyards attached to churches in towns, but most country churches have small congregations and maintenance is a major issue.

[Tickettyboo]

I agree it is sad to see certain overgrown cemeteries. How often have any of us offered our local church some time if it too is overgrown. I admit I have not.

John

I recently looked at a facebook page for a village I used to live in. There was a post decrying the state of a churchyard ( it was an RC one) that the poster had visited. They lived in the village and were visiting the grave of a Grandparent.
The post was quite vociferous about the lack of care and attention to the churchyard.
Lots of replies saying others were also appalled at the condition of their loved ones graves.
They all, apparently, live in the same village.

For the life of me I can't work out why, if they are so distressed about the state of the resting place of their ancestors, they can't  go along and tidy it up themselves. I do understand that not everyone is fit enough but surely some are?

Boo

[GrahamSimons]

We have quite a big churchyard; a big area has no grave markers at all. That area we are deliberately allowing to grow as a wildlife haven. The area with headstones, mainly relatively modern (mid-19th contury onwards) we do keep mown. It costs a lot. The weekly collections, fundraising activities and regular donations are all very important to us in keeping the show on the road. We have to cover the cost of ministry - that is, the clergy and costs associated with services; the cost of mission - that is, the cost of bringing our message to others; and then the cost of premises - maintenance, where we always dread the next quinquennial report with its lists of things that must be done; insurance, electricity, fuel, and everything else, as well as keeping the churchyard presentable and safe. Like so many things there isn't a pot of gold: church members either need to give or to fundraise. We understand that we are here for people who are not members of our congregation, no matter who they are, but we are limited in how much we can give in time and money.

[Andrew Tarr]

The grass in this church graveyard has not been cut in over a year now.  Some of the grass is waist high and there are weeds and brambles all over the place making it impossible to access many of the graves. The vicar claims that it is now Church of England policy throughout the country to stop maintaining churchyards in order to save money and help protect the environment.

I was an orienteer for about 50 years.  Back in the 70s and 80s we could run about in north Welsh forests with mostly bramble and rough ground to worry about.  After that it apparently became national policy not to clear under trees after brashing operations, and to let green waste decay naturally.  As a result some forests we once used have become almost totally impenetrable.

Perhaps that 'green' policy is spreading ?

[AllanUK]

I attended a funeral last week in Northumberland, the large churchyard was well maintained as was the attached cemetery. I don't think that the C of E have a nationwide policy of letting graveyards 'go wild' -- a decision made by the vicar / parish council perhaps?