Cemeteries and churchyards habitat audit

Churchyards are burial grounds encompassed within the walled boundary of a church. During the latter half of the eighteenth century some churches, especially in central London, established extramural burial grounds due to the shortage of space within their churchyards. Many of these `church gardens' have since been turned into public gardens. Where information exists these sites are included within the churchyard element of this audit.

Cemeteries are burial grounds outside the confines of a church. These include private burial grounds (mostly constructed during the Victorian era) and more recently established local authority burial grounds.

Cemeteries in London cover approximately 1300 hectares, just under 1% of Greater London's land cover. Cemeteries are predominately situated in outer London boroughs with the largest areas of cemetery land being in Newham and Barnet.

Churchyards represent a relatively minor resource in terms of the land which they encompass, but they are a significant potential resource with respect to their distribution.

Cemeteries and churchyards make a significant contribution to the provision of urban green space in London, sometimes providing a sanctuary for wildlife in urban areas devoid of greenspace. Although many have restricted access they still provide a useful resource for the local community, particularly within inner London Boroughs.

A wide variety of habitats can be found in Greater London's cemeteries. This is demonstrated by St Pancras and Islington Cemetery in Barnet, which supports areas of neutral grassland, wetland, scrub and secondary woodland. Due to the antiquity of many churchyards and cemeteries they can support habitats which are relics of former countryside and may, therefore, support a range of rare or uncommon plant species. The only known London site for green-winged orchid Orchis morio ,for example, is Morden Cemetery in Merton. Other more commonly occurring plants, which are indicative of the countryside within which many of these cemeteries were formerly located, include cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratense, harebell Campanula rotundifolia and crested dog's-tail Cynosorus cristatus.

While churchyard/cemetery status confers protection from certain forms of development, loss of existing habitat may occur as a result of increasing pressure for burial space. Twenty one of the thirty eight cemeteries with recognised nature conservation value in London have been identified as sites for potential re-use (Bailey 1998). The notable nature conservation value of these sites is often due to their antiquity and the current laws preventing the disturbance of human remains. Re-use could result in the loss of the tree and scrub cover that has developed over many of these older cemetery sites.

The responsibility for management of many cemetery sites has been given to various local authority departments who are often ill-equipped to advise on ecological management, or are reluctant to accept nature conservation value. In an attempt to avoid affronting the perceived sensitivities of relatives of the interred, most land management in operational cemeteries is aimed at maintaining a well-ordered, 'tidy' appearance which limits the opportunities for biodiversity conservation and enhancement.

In London, there is considerable potential for increasing the nature conservation value of many of the extensive cemetery sites. Simple measures such as a reduction in mowing frequency where the sward is species-rich, or tree and shrub planting where existing habitat is of low value would do much to increase their ecological value. Placing bird and bat boxes in sites with trees would provide a very public indication of support for biodiversity conservation. The growing interest in 'green burials' may also create an opportunity to incorporate enhancement or creation of wildlife habitat within existing or newly created cemeteries.

By recognising the existing and potential value of cemeteries and churchyards these sites can provide an educational resource which encompasses biodiversity, history and other disciplines. For example, the relic flora of the site, in addition to dates on headstones, can provide evidence as to the history of the site. Lichens on walls and monuments can be related to air quality.

Although perceived as a threat to existing habitats within cemeteries, re-use could provide an opportunity to create new habitats or restore open habitats which have been lost to scrub or secondary woodland. Indeed a London Planning Advisory Committee report, 'Burial Space Needs in London', specifically refers to the need to conserve biodiversity within any re-use strategy. Sites such Tower Hamlets, Abney Park and Highgate Cemeteries demonstrate the potential for incorporating biodiversity objectives into the management of cemeteries and churchyards.