Why caring for God’s acre is a labour of love

St James’s churchyard is a special place for all sorts of reasons.  Generations of local people are buried there and it’s still a working burial ground.  People visit to remember their loved ones, to search out family or local history or to study the church and its Grade II* listed memorials. Or just to walk through its tranquil acres.  The grounds need to accommodate routes for funerals, wedding photography and spaces for community events such as craft fairs and heritage days.  That’s a lot of different uses that could come into conflict if not managed carefully.

That’s why in 2021 the church ran a community consultation to collect input on how the churchyard should be managed: should it be a formal, manicured cemetery; a curated wildlife haven; or just left to go wild like many a romantic Gothic burial ground?

It turns out the answer lies somewhere in between.  With the help of national conservation charity Caring for God’s Acre, the church, Colwall Orchard Group and Colwall’s community, a new Management Plan was drawn up.  This balances areas where the grass is kept fairly short with areas where the grass is cut less frequently.  So the memorial garden, listed tombs, and areas used for recent burials and events are regularly mown, while spring and summer meadow areas are allowed to grow longer to foster greater biodiversity and encourage swathes of wild flowers.

That might sound straightforward, but in fact it’s not easy at all. Keeping the grass cut is difficult with limited resources and the ground needs particular preparation and maintenance to support wildflowers and hedges. Monitoring progress requires detailed biodiversity surveys, led by experts who understand how climate change may impact plant and animal species. 

All these efforts are co-ordinated by a small team of volunteers.  If you’d like to help protect the future of this beautiful churchyard, just come along to our regular working parties on Saturdays or weekdays – contact Richard King on 01684 541215 .  All are welcome and 8-16 June is Love your Burial Ground Week so you’ll be part of countrywide efforts to cherish these special places.