BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON HISTORIC CHURCHES 31st ANNUAL EDITION 25 parabola-shaped roof. It is built in concrete and aluminium, and serves the community of Ermine, a 1950s council estate in Lincoln. The space that surrounds it is land turned to lawn and has never been used as a burial ground. Early discussions included the question, ‘What makes a site sacred?’ Mark Schofield, a Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust volunteer who was involved in the project to improve the biodiversity of the church grounds, also considered what ‘heritage’ means to people. He points out that the modern church in Lincoln is ‘near a Roman road in a Roman city. The natural heritage – which makes the Roman occupation look like yesterday – could arguably be a way to tap into a sense of place much more strongly.’ Early discussions, therefore, need to go beyond considerations of species and wildlife, and ensure that the fullest needs of the church and community are taken into account. THE PLAN Local support and knowledge become invaluable as you move onto the next stage after recording and evaluating the results: planning the changes. It would be impossible to provide a definitive list here of the species that are essential to every churchyard or patch of land. The plants that favour a coastal spot in Aberdeenshire will be very different to a sheltered patch on the chalk downs of Wiltshire, and the corresponding birds, insects and mammals will be equally different. It may be tempting to now turn to commercial packets of ‘wildflower seeds’ but this may not be appropriate for every churchyard. Mark offers more advice about the importance of local species. ‘Leave areas unmown for a summer, and record what emerges,’ he explains. ‘You may discover you are home to several species of orchid or some locally scarce plants.’ Whether or not the local community and congregation were involved in the ecological survey, it is vital to involve them throughout the planning process. This can mitigate potential challenges and objections arising as the churchyard begins to change. St John the Baptist Church in High Toynton, near Horncastle in Lincolnshire, started by reducing the frequency of mowing and encountered some initial complaints citing a ‘lack of respect’, according to Mark. In response, he says ‘We adopted a system where we mapped out all the graves by name and asked people who visited graves to tell us which they wanted access to, or mark them with fresh cut flowers. We could then identify where we needed to maintain short-mown grass access paths through the taller growth.’ He adds, ‘By collecting cuttings where we mowed, it created a neater finish where people wanted it, leaving the majority of the area to bloom.’ The interweaving of the evolving and changing churchyard and its users can and should continue. At both St John the Baptist, High Toynton, and St John the Baptist, Ermine East, Lincoln, new events have been created to take place every year which celebrate the wildlife in the church grounds. When planning, take note of the daily, monthly and yearly changes across the whole site. What remains in shade all year? Which patches have full, unrelenting sun in June? Is there a boggy area? Rather than trying to improve that area with drainage, play to its strengths, and look for ways of encouraging amphibians and reptiles. Lichens Even with the vast diversity of ecosystems across the UK, there are certain things to look out for. And, once noticed, to preserve and nurture. Large buildings, and in particular large, old buildings, may reveal a surprising amount of rather niche flora and fauna. Churchyards are noted for the range and quality of their lichens. The British Lichen Society states that of the roughly 2,000 known species of lichen in the UK, more than a third are found in churchyards and in some cases, there are species found only in churchyards. There is obviously a potential source of tension here, as people wish to tend the gravestones of their loved ones; they may accept patches of unmown grass but a gravestone covered in lichen can simply seem ‘dirty’. As people use ever-more sophisticated ways to trace their ancestors, they discover old and apparently neglected graves and naturally wish to clean them. In everyday maintenance, too, stones and decorative masonry that has been identified as unstable and unsafe may be moved to prevent harm to people, and this can dislodge ancient colonies of lichen. The British Lichen Society offers free advice through their website and in person to help navigate these issues on a case-by-case basis. Water Another key change that can be made which will have immediate benefits to a wide range of wildlife is to improve A drone fly with Bath Abbey in the background: bee-friendly flowering plants are particularly important in urban environments. (Photo: Nick Upton/2020Vision)
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