Experts amazed by diversity of wildlife at Shrewsbury’s cemetery

Longden Road cemetery in Shrewsbury has been awarded Local Wildlife Site status by a local sites partnership that includes Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

The award follows surveys of the site carried out by specialist wildlife survey groups in 2013 and 2014, who were amazed by the diversity of wildlife species found on site, particularly in the older part of the cemetery.

The surveys were first suggested to Shropshire Council, owner of the cemetery, by locally-based national charity Caring for God’s Acre. Older cemeteries such as Longden Road, established in the 1850s are often the last refuge of grass and meadowland not subjected to modern development, farming or gardening practices.

Such cemeteries have remained as unimproved areas of land escaping from weed spraying or fertiliser use, subsequently such areas provide a home for species of grasses, wildflowers and herbage lost from many other parts of the countryside.

Amongst the many species of grasses, wildflowers and fungi found at Longden Road cemetery were a number of interesting finds such as Tor grass, unrecorded elsewhere in Shropshire and fungi with fantastic names such as Parrot Waxcap, Russet Toughshanks and Stinking Dapperling.

All the floral species recorded at the cemetery are important in their own right, but to have them in the density found within the cemetery is seen as exceptional. The diversity of species present combined with the shrubs and trees on site provide habitat, food and breeding space for all manner of insect, bird and mammal life including hedgehogs.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Caring for God’s Acre have been advising Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council – who undertake the grounds maintenance work at the cemetery – on how best to manage the cemetery grounds in order to conserve its wildlife value.

Kate Singleton, Wildlife Sites Officer for Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said:

‘’Basically the way the cemetery has been managed has been beneficial for wildlife and that is why there is such a good range of species on site, but we’d like to trial approaches such as leaving some areas uncut throughout the growing season to allow wild flowering species time to flower and set their seeds for the coming year.’’

Harriet Carty of Caring for God’s Acre, said:

‘’We are really pleased to be involved with the cemetery, advising on how to conserve the site and also helping out with looking after the cemetery with our practical conservation volunteers. This is the largest of our projects in the area as the cemetery is around 30 acres in size, so all help is appreciated.’’

Dr Larry Wolfe, head of bereavement services with Shropshire Council, said:

‘’We continue to manage the cemetery for its main purpose but we also wish to get the most from this site for the people of Shrewsbury and to enhance the old part of the cemetery for the benefit of its wildlife.”

Shropshire Council and Caring for God’s Acre have set up a Friends of Longden Road cemetery group that can be found on Facebook.

A conservation volunteer work party will be at the cemetery from 10am on 21 April, and everyone is invited to join in. More details on the conservation day can be obtained from Caring for God’s Acre, email colin@cfga.org.uk or telephone 01588 673041.