Protecting Wildlife, Preserving Heritage, Involving People
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KWACS – the Kirtlington Wildlife and Conservation Society – is a group of local wildlife and nature conservation enthusiasts, whose aim is to look after local habitats and wildlife, and to encourage others to consider wildlife too, e.g. in their gardens. KWACS manages areas of the churchyard at St Mary the Virgin in Kirtlington and […]
“What do we do with the brash?” This is the often asked question as soon as we start our day’s work in a churchyard Brash is a noun that does not appear in the dictionary but the slasher which we use for rough cutting is also known as a brashing hook and maybe related to […]
Tasks to do and wildlife to look for in Summer Sometimes caring for a churchyard, chapel yard or cemetery can feel like a burden. A calendar can help you plan, encourage volunteers and, when coupled with time spent enjoying this beautiful place, can turn it into a blessing. Jobs to do in Summer Grass cutting […]
Our monument recording volunteers at Longden Road Cemetery record facts: names, dates, inscriptions and condition of stonework. But sometimes a name, an epitaph or even the design of the monument is tantalising enough for them to start researching the stories behind the stones, and with over 60,000 people buried within the Victorian Cemetery there are […]
Sometimes a day’s work in a churchyard puts you in touch with people and their stories in a way you would not imagine. Occasionally we have a work day at St Leonards, Ludlow, a joint effort with the Friends of St Leonards churchyard. This is definitely not one of our usual country churchyards. A church […]
The memorials you see as you walk around burial sites are often erected by those that could afford them. This is the case in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, where visitors to Key Hill cemetery can see memorials to non-conformists such as Harriet Martineau, Joseph Chamberlain and Alfred Bird (inventor of Bird’s custard). The vast majority of those buried here, however, are in public […]
Tasks to do and wildlife to look for in Spring Sometimes caring for a churchyard, chapel yard or cemetery can feel like a burden. A calendar can help you plan, encourage volunteers and, when coupled with time spent enjoying this beautiful place, can turn it into a blessing. Jobs to do in Spring Grass cutting A spring cut, in March or April, is a good idea if […]
If you look on our timetable of task days for January to March, you will see the phrase ‘Spring jobs’ used frequently. What are these? The easiest explanation is they are mainly jobs where you will be using tools you are familiar with from gardening. One important task is looking after yew trees. One of […]
It’s Love Your Yew Week 2026! As part of it, we are offering a free illustrated story. The anonymous author says: “This story is about St Cuthbert’s relationship with the birds in his life. Cuthbert’s experience demonstrates perfectly how individuals and churches can live in harmony with nature, benefit from its generous gifts, and protect […]
Caring for God’s Acre are working in collaboration with the Ancient Yew Group on the second Love Your Yew Week, running from 9th – 15th February 2026. Magnificent ancient and veteran yew trees epitomise the British churchyard and their significance cannot be overstated. They instil in us a sense of awe and wonder when we […]
