Conservation
CEMETERY TIDY UPS
We have regular monthly “tidy-ups”, which include ‘de-whiskering’ trees along the avenues, picking up litter and clearing up autumn leaves and fallen branches. We are only a small band of volunteers who try our best to keep the ivy and shrubs under control. We cannot take on larger work such as tree maintenance and surgery and anything of that nature we have to report to Bereavement Services for them to remove dead trees or large fallen branches.
PLEASE NOTE that the condition of individual graves is the responsibility of the plot owners, and the Friends are not allowed to do any work thereon except with their permission or at their request. However, IWC Bereavement Services do employ contractors to manage the grassed areas. If you would like to meet the team, come along at about 10.30am on the first Sunday of any month (except for January).
Bird box installation
Garden view
Group leaves
Gardening
Garden spring
more gardening
New bench
NATURAL HISTORY
FLORA AND FAUNA
As an area which is rarely disturbed, the cemetery is an important place in the town for wildlife and plants to thrive. The grounds are in effect a traditional meadow and therefore attract many meadow species of plants and insects.
The cemetery has a wide range of plant species which we have encouraged thanks to the co-operation of the council contractors who have agreed to leave some areas of the cemetery uncut in the summer months. This creates a wildflower meadow attracting plant species such as primroses and cowslips in the early spring together with Early Purple orchids and Green-winged orchids.
These are followed by buttercups, fleabane and bird’s-foot trefoil and later summer species including large quantities of Ox-Eye daisies, Knapweed and Yellow rattle.
Bee orchids and Ladies Tresses orchids have also been recorded here.
The wildflowers in their turn attract a large variety of butterflies, moths and other insects. The bird boxes, painted by local children are used by blue tits and sparrows. Green woodpeckers are often seen visiting to raid ants nests on the ground.
Meadow poster
Comma
Gatekeeper
Marbled White
Hawthorn
Bee Orchid
Burnet Moth
Green Winged Orchid