The churchyard is
one of the most enduring features of the British landscape. The
20,000 churchyards in England and Wales span every possible habitat
from sea shore and rocky coastline to grass and heathland, moor and
deep wood. Over many centuries these churchyards have established
themselves as unofficial nature reserves where an abundance and
diversity of indigenous and naturalized wildlife flourishes
undisturbed. From over-intensive farming, and industrial and
metropolitan encroachment, churchyards have provided a sanctuary
for all kinds of flowering plants, shrubs and rare species of
ferns, mosses, lichens and fungi. These in their turn support an
extraordinary variety and density of animal life –gravestone
insects, frogs, toads, shrews and mice. The larger creatures of the
countryside, the owls, badgers and deer, have all found a refuge
within these ancient enclosures, and despite erosive urbanization,
the rare marbled white, adonis blue, and silver studded blue
butterflies still eke out a precarious existence in
them.