East Budleigh – All Saints’ Church

About this churchyard

The All Saints’ Church, East Budleigh, and churchyards are within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the East Budleigh Conservation Area – and adjoin farmland. There are two churchyards: a new cemetery comprising a burial ground and a garden of remembrance consecrated in July 1997; and our old churchyard. The old churchyard was converted to a “Living Churchyard” in 1995 with two large areas: one is a spring meadow with snowdrops, crocus, primrose, wild daffodils, ox-eye daises and other wildflowers; the other is a large summer meadow with around 100 different flowering species. Additionally the area immediately around the church is mown monthly to produce a short flowery lawn throughout the year and is also where we find waxcaps in the Autumn.

Every year we see more that 40 bird species, many insects, mammals, and reptiles, eg, slow worms and a toad, thrive in these meadows and five species of bat have been detected in the summer.

Our aim is to have churchyards that:

  • are well-managed to provide a peaceful haven for both people and wildlife
  • strike a balance between being an area of peace and contemplation whilst allowing nature to flourish
  • actively encourage and help sustain wildlife
  • are attractive and welcoming

We have a three-year rolling Management Plan based on the CfGA’s guidance which includes a mowing regime to encourage the spring and summer meadows to flourish.

We carefully and proactively manage our ancient burial grounds to protect and conserve this part of East Budleigh’s rural life and heritage resulting in a beautiful environment welcoming people and wildlife. Set in the rolling East Devon hills, it is a unique and special place that has an atmosphere tranquillity and contemplation.

This is the only churchyard in Devon to have received an award in all four years of the CPRE Devon’s “Best Churchyard” competition in: 2018 the 2nd oak plaque; 2019 the 1st oak plaque; 2020 the-“Highly Commended” oak plaque; and 2021 -“Certificate of Excellence”.

Over the years, we have improved and increased the number of ‘facilities’ to actively encourage and help to sustain wildlife in the churchyards including:

    • the four new compost bins behind the shed in the old Churchyard and a temporary compost heap in the new Churchyard;
    • a grass pile in the corner of the New Churchyard;
    • a wood pile under the Monterey Pine;
    • a number of bird boxes throughout both Churchyards;
    • bird feeders;
    • a ‘Hedgehog Hotel’ with a pile of branches and leaves;
    • three insect and bug ‘residences’;
    • a wide variety of flowers in the old Churchyards; and
    • well-maintained trees.

East Budleigh Species List for 2022

Key Features
  • Wildflower areas
  • Peaceful space with benches for quiet reflection
  • Wildlife haven
  • Memorials with famous or infamous connections
  • Stones with stories
  • Fascinating monuments
  • Great for fungi
  • Birders paradise
  • Lichen and moss haven
  • Self-guided trail in place April – October

All Saint’s Church, High Street,
Vicarage Road, East Budleigh,
Devon, EX9 7DA

Visitor Information
Opening Times

All Saints’ Church is open from about 08.00 until dusk.

The burial grounds are permanently open.

We have our Churchyard Working Party every third Friday in the month unless this falls on a religious holiday.

Contact details

Penny and Paul Kurowski
Tel: 01395 742942
e-mail: [email protected]

Information on Site

There are notices and three interpretation noticeboards around the burial grounds with more information in the Porch and inside the Church.

Accessibility

There is one step then a sloping tarmac path up to the Church from the entrance on the High Street. Once on the Church level, there is relatively level access to the Old Churchyards on tarmac and grass paths. There is a slope or four steps down from the middle of the Old Churchyard to the New Churchyard and Garden of Remembrance.

Alternatively, the tarmac path from the Porch leads to eight steps down to the Church Hall level with sloping footpaths to the New Churchyard and Garden of Remembrance.

Toilets

There are toilets in the public car park off Hayes Lane.

There are also toilets in the Church Hall, when open – there is an access slope.

Seating

There are 12 benches in the burial grounds with back and arm rests.  Several of the benches look out over the rolling Devon hills and one has an excellent view down the High Street with all the Grade II listed buildings.

Parking & Transport

There is car parking in the public car park off Hayes Lane – there are 15 steps up to the Church and burial grounds.

Those requiring disabled access: there is a separate concrete drive (just beyond All Saints Close off Hayes Lane) up to the Church Hall and then the footpath slopes up to the burial grounds.

There are car parking spaces on Yettington Road and Priory Close with one step up through the gate and a steep slope up to the burial grounds.

The 157 bus runs from Exmouth and from Sidmouth once per hour.

Refreshments

The Sir Walter Raleigh public house on the High Street has a café. The Community shop in the village has a coffee machine.  There is the Otterton Mill about one mile away and the  facilities in Budleigh Salterton are about two miles away.

Skip to content