National Info
“I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls the burial ground God's Acre.”
from the poem ‘God’s Acre’ by Longfellow
In support of the conservation of ‘God’s Acre’ we provide links to other organisations that may be able to help you with churchyard and burial ground conservation.
You will also find links to other churchyard or burial ground projects from across the country.
Cherishing Churchyards Week - Provisional Dates
Friday 8th June - Sunday 17th June 2012
Join us for a special week to celebrate churchyards and burial grounds and to raise awareness of the treasures they contain.
Churchyards are special places:
- They often contain a rich diversity of plant and animal life.
- They are important places for archaeology and history.
- They often have distinctive and veteran trees.
- The stonework and boundary walls provide a home for a mosaic of mosses, ferns and lichens.
- They provide a tranquil place for quiet reflection.
- They are a resource for inspiration and community learning.
Churchyards are often within walking distance of local communities and can provide a focus for community involvement.
Are you interested in celebrating your local churchyard or burial ground?
Examples of activities include:
For families: A quiz, a treasure hunt, a mini beast safari, tree bingo, letter or leaf rubbing, making gargoyles out of clay…
Open days: guided tours, slide talks, tower tours...
Volunteer activities: making compost areas, scything the grass, repairing the boundary walls, memorial recording, bramble clearing, nest box making, path clearing…
Workshops: dry stone walling, memorial safety and care, plant identification, animal identification, dawn chorus, geology, tree care, archaeology, creative writing, art, singing…
Please visit Conservation Advice/Advice Sheets for Download section on this website if you feel the following information may be useful:
- Activities for Young People
- Attracting Volunteers
- Health & Safety Information
- Cherishing Churchyard Logo
If you would like to register your event as part of National Cherishing Churchyards week, please download and fill out the registration form below.
Click on the link to download the registration form Cherishing Churchyards Week Registration Form 2012