Working with nature at St. Laurence Churchyard

Summer is starting to wind down and we have to think ahead about how we work with nature to maintain a diverse natural environment in St. Laurence churchyard.

Kent County Council (KCC) Highways require that we cut back the vegetation at the boundaries of the churchyard, so that pedestrians can walk safely along the pavements at the side of Manston Road. There is no problem at the moment, but if we do not attend to the matter, it could hamper the safe passage of pedestrians, which is something we would wish to avoid.

St. Laurence churchyard is a closed burial ground, apart from the Remembrance Garden. Thanet District Council (TDC) have the responsibility to maintain the churchyard, but Ramsgate Town Council (RTC) is assisting and will take over that responsibility, subject to a comprehensive agreement with TDC over various sites in Ramsgate. Hopefully, that agreement will be completed very soon.

What will we be doing?
We will carefully cut back all the vegetation along the boundaries of the churchyard, including a limited prune back of some low hanging tree branches. Within the churchyard various grassed areas will be cut and the grass removed. This will help wildflowers to grow, where grass is a strong competitor. Brambles will be cut back, and gravestones uncovered.

Gravestones will not have lichen etc removed, as this is part of the management of nature in the churchyard. We will be working to a plan produced for us by the Kent Wildlife Trust, which allows nature to prosper but not overwhelm the churchyard. The aim is to keep the churchyard as a quiet place of contemplation within a small nature conservancy.

When will we being carrying out the nature management work?
In early October, so that we can ensure that nesting birds will have hatched their young and wildflowers will have set seed. We can then cut back and manage the area without interfering with the living occupants of the churchyard.

We hope next year that the churchyard will remain a haven for nature within an intensive urban environment.

Why are we telling you all this?
When the public see the Technicians wearing hi-vis vests and wielding cutting tools, they sometimes fear that nature is being traded for tidiness, and so I have written this small notice to keep you all informed.

Finally, I thought I would show the Remembrance Garden, now thankfully restored after the damage. It is a credit to those who picked up the pieces and made good.

Written by:
Richard Styles,
Town Clerk