A Living Sanctuary Behind the Lychgate

Churchyards are among the quietest and most consistently managed pockets of land in Britain. While fields have been ploughed, sprayed and reseeded, and verges have been trimmed to within an inch of their lives, many churchyards have simply been left to get on with it. The result is a mosaic of habitats: ancient yew trees, lichen-crusted stone, damp hollows, tussocky grass, bare earth, and hedges never touched by a flail. For wildlife, this gentle neglect is a gift. It is not that churchyards are deliberately wild; they have simply escaped the worst of modern intensive management.

Wildflowers: The Hidden Meadow Under Your Feet

The floral richness of a churchyard often comes as a surprise. In early summer you may find cowslips, ox-eye daisies, lady’s bedstraw, common knapweed, betony, and even orchids such as the bee orchid or common spotted-orchid. These are remnants of old meadow flora that has survived because the ground has not been enriched with fertiliser or re-seeded. Many of these plants need poor, undisturbed soil and a late cut.

To support them, mow paths and around recent graves regularly, but leave the rest as a hay meadow. Cut the main area once in late July or August, then remove the cuttings. Leaving them to rot adds nutrients and encourages coarse grasses that smother wildflowers. If the churchyard is large, cut half in late summer and the other half the following year, so insects always have somewhere to shelter. Never use herbicides or fertilisers, and avoid strimming every last nettle and thistle. A few patches of nettles are a nursery for comma, red admiral, and peacock butterflies.

Insects, Invertebrates and the Value of Mess

Insects thrive where there is a mix of sun and shade, short and tall vegetation, and dead wood left in place. Solitary bees may nest in sunny patches of bare earth or in the mortar of old walls. Mason bees and leafcutter bees use holes in stonework. Beetles and overwintering ladybirds shelter in tussocks and under log piles. If you can, leave a few fallen branches in a quiet corner, or build a simple log pile in dappled shade. It need not be tidy; indeed, the scruffier the better.

• Leave ivy on walls and trees where it is not causing damage: it offers late nectar and dense cover for insects and small mammals.
• Keep some dead flower stems standing through winter, as they provide overwintering sites for beetles and solitary bees.
• Avoid disturbing stone piles and boundary walls, which act as reptile and invertebrate refuges.
• If you must tidy, do it in late winter or early spring, and never clear the whole churchyard at once.

These small decisions add up. A churchyard managed with insects in mind will also feed the birds, bats, and shrews that depend on them.

Bats, Owls and the Night Shift

Bats are drawn to churchyards for the same reasons people are: old trees, quiet corners, and a rich supply of insects. Churches themselves are important roosts. Pipistrelles may squeeze into eaves, brown long-eared bats favour roof voids, and Natterer’s bats sometimes use stone crevices. The churchyard below is a hunting ground, especially where there are mature trees, hedges, and a pond or damp ditch nearby.

Lighting is the single biggest threat. Floodlighting a church tower or porch can delay bats emerging and push them away from good foraging areas. If lighting is needed for safety or security, use warm white, downward-facing fixtures on short timers, and keep light off trees, hedges, and known roost entry points. Better still, leave the churchyard dark. Barn owls and tawny owls also benefit from darkness and rough grass full of voles. If bats are present, remember they and their roosts are legally protected; seek advice before any roof or tree work.

Practical Stewardship for Volunteers and PCCs

You do not need to be an ecologist to make a difference, but a little planning helps. Walk the churchyard in spring and summer and note what grows where. A simple map of mowing zones and quiet areas is invaluable. Agree a management plan with the Parochial Church Council, and check with your diocese and insurer before changing walls, trees, or lighting. If the churchyard is closed for new burials, it may have more freedom for conservation, but always respect visitors and memorials.

• Mow a network of paths so the churchyard remains welcoming.
• Cut grass late and remove cuttings; stack them to compost.
• Plant native hedges and trees suited to your soil.
• Record what you see—flowers, bees, bats—and share it with local recording groups.
• Involve the whole community: school groups, ramblers, and quiet volunteers all have a role.

Churchyards are not just places of memory, though that would be reason enough to care for them. They are reservoirs of British biodiversity, holding on to wildflowers, insects, and bats that have vanished from much of the wider landscape. With gentle, informed management, they can continue to do so for generations. The reward is a churchyard that feels alive: buzzing, chirping, and flickering with bats at dusk, whilst remaining a place of peace and remembrance.