Churchyard

While churchyards can be any patch of land on church grounds, historically, they were often used as graveyards (burial places).

After the establishment of the parish as the centre of the Christian spiritual life, the possession of a cemetery, as well as the baptismal font, was a mark of parochial status.

However, many churchyards in Northwestern France and in the UK may predate the establishment of the Christian church there today.

[2] The use of churchyards as burial grounds for the deceased was diminished all over Europe in various stages between the 18th to 19th centuries due to lack of space for new headstones.

Churchyards can be host to unique and ancient habitats because they may remain significantly unchanged for hundreds of years.