Threats
While churchyard/cemetery status confers protection from certain forms of development, loss of existing habitat may occur as a result of increasing pressure for burial space. Twenty one of the thirty eight cemeteries with recognised nature conservation value in London have been identified as sites for potential re-use (Bailey 1998). The notable nature conservation value of these sites is often due to their antiquity and the current laws preventing the disturbance of human remains. Re-use could result in the loss of the tree and scrub cover that has developed over many of these older cemetery sites.

The responsibility for management of many cemetery sites has been given to various local authority departments who are often ill-equipped to advise on ecological management, or are reluctant to accept nature conservation value. In an attempt to avoid affronting the perceived sensitivities of relatives of the interred, most land management in operational cemeteries is aimed at maintaining a well-ordered, ‘tidy’ appearance which limits the opportunities for biodiversity conservation and enhancement.

Opportunities
In London, there is considerable potential for increasing the nature conservation value of many of the extensive cemetery sites. Simple measures such as a reduction in mowing frequency where the sward is species-rich, or tree and shrub planting where existing habitat is of low value would do much to increase their ecological value. Placing bird and bat boxes in sites with trees would provide a very public indication of support for biodiversity conservation. The growing interest in ‘green burials’ may also create an opportunity to incorporate enhancement or creation of wildlife habitat within existing or newly created cemeteries.

By recognising the existing and potential value of cemeteries and churchyards these sites can provide an educational resource which encompasses biodiversity, history and other disciplines. For example, the relic flora of the site, in addition to dates on headstones, can provide evidence as to the history of the site. Lichens on walls and monuments can be related to air quality.

Although perceived as a threat to existing habitats within cemeteries, re-use could provide an opportunity to create new habitats or restore open habitats which have been lost to scrub or secondary woodland. Indeed a London Planning Advisory Committee report, ‘Burial Space Needs in London’, specifically refers to the need to conserve biodiversity within any re-use strategy. Sites such Tower Hamlets, Abney Park and Highgate Cemeteries demonstrate the potential for incorporating biodiversity objectives into the management of cemeteries and churchyards.

Data on the distribution and extent of cemeteries came from the London Advisory Planning Committee’s (LPAC) Report ‘Burial Space Needs In London’ (1997). The report contains the most comprehensive audit of London’s cemeteries to date, although not all cemeteries responded to the survey. A full audit of churchyards was not possible as the data is not yet available. The figures provided in this ‘preliminary’ audit represent the churchyard resource with the Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation identified by the London Ecology Unit (LEU). This is not a definitive representation of Greater London’s churchyard resource.

The list includes churchyards of nature conservation importance for most boroughs (those with LEU handbooks/schedules). The data for these sites was collected from a database at the Unit and checked against each borough handbook and schedule. No churchyards are listed for boroughs that are not members of the London Ecology Committee: City of London, Havering, Bromley and Hackney.

Although lists of churches with churchyards are available for approximately half of London there are no available data on the size of these churchyards. There are six Church of England Diocese which cover the Greater London area: London, Rochester, Southwark, Guildford, Chelmsford and St Albans (Table 2). Available lists provide the names of churches without giving their exact locations. The Diocesan handbooks could be used to identify each church and would need to be purchased at a cost of £3-5. The Dioceses of Chelmsford and Southwark do not have a list of churches with churchyards. The Diocesan handbook could be used to contact each parish individually.

Roman Catholic churches in Greater London fall under two Archdiocese (Westminster, Southwark) and a smaller Diocese (Brentford). The structure of the Methodist church in London is based on the boundaries of Greater London with four divisions forming the four quarters of the city; NW, NE and so on. No preliminary research has been carried out for other denominations. However, in context of ecclesiastical land use history these will, perhaps, represent a small resource proportion of the Church of England, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churchyard resource.