We are compiling this directory of flowery burial grounds from across the UK, which we would recommend visiting if you are looking for a well managed site rich in wildlife and heritage. Burial grounds can have a rich array of plants, animals and fungi, and may contain the only surviving area of flower-rich grassland in a parish. All the sites listed here contain this habitat. To see the flowers at their best, late May to mid or end of July is usually the most suitable time to visit. However, do contact the site managers for more specific timings before you visit if this is important to you.
The churchyard to the south supports an ancient hay meadow with plant species which may have persisted since at least Anglo Saxon times. The main conservation aim in this area has been to maintain it as a traditional species-rich hay meadow, in the same way it is thought to have been managed over many preceding centuries, with mowing at the end of June and an additional cut in late autumn or winter. This area has been managed by the local Blofield and District Conservation Group (BADCOG) since 1985.
The Bure Valley Conservation Group (BVCG) has undertaken cutting and raking in the northern churchyard area which, pre 1953, was farmland. The diversity of plants and wildlife there has substantially increased.
The Friends group has been instrumental in coordinating interest and practical working in the two churchyards both with the above conservation groups and parishioners/Friends of the church, in collaboration with Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Churchyard Conservation team.
A small team of volunteers has been surveying the churchyard regularly, recording and reporting the wildflowers and wildlife identified.
Although the records we hold only go back 35 years, they show that the southern churchyard area had been well and sympathetically managed for many generations and illustrate the richness and variety of wild plants that can thrive if given the opportunity.
Regular conservation measures over the intervening years, especially by BADCOG, offer a richness and diversity. The more recent efforts by BVCG and the Friends have shown an encouraging expansion in wildflowers in the northern churchyard.
A survey undertaken in 2020 showed a total of 208 species recorded including insects, birds, mammals and plants.
The surveys undertaken since 2016 together with the site management plan and a regular survey of the state of the poplar trees that mark the boundaries on the southern and western sides of the churchyard are readily available to interested visitors and displayed as part of the Churchyard Wildlife displays described above.
In 2018 the group was given the Churchyards and Cemeteries Community Biodiversity Award from the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership for the innovative way the Friends group had approached conservation of the churchyards, taking professional advice and working with others.
- Birders paradise
- Famous/infamous people's memorials
- Good accessibility
- Peaceful space for quiet reflection
- Wild flower Areas in spring/summer
- Wildlife haven
A virtual tour of the churchyard and church are available on the church’s website http://www.hemblingtonchurch.org.uk/
There are level surfaced paths to the church entrances and across the churchyard from the churchyard gate.
There are two benches with backs and arm rests in the churchyard.
The nearest bus service runs to Blofield Heath, 2 miles away from the church to the west.
The map below will take a few seconds to load. You can search for a burial ground either by county, or by the name of the burial ground, or by clicking the markers on the map.
Add your burial ground.
If you would like to nominate a flowery burial ground that you manage for inclusion in our directory, please complete the form here. We will review all submissions before inclusion in the directory, so please understand you won’t see your burial ground immediately.Â
