Beautiful Burial Grounds - from Caring for God's Acre - three things to round up Janaury

Love Your Yew Week 9th - 15th February 2026 - not too late to join in!
Registrations have been coming in for our second Love Your Yew Week, when we are asking the custodians of these wonderful trees to look down at the ground beneath their yews and to clear beneath the canopy, removing all objects, including at least a metre beyond the canopy, as the roots can extend further than the branches.  

For more inspiration, whether you are lucky enough to have one of these ancient or veteran yew trees in your churchyard, or want to visit one near you, why not follow the links on the Love Your Yew Week page to find a map from the Ancient Yew Group website or watch the video created for us by our patron Chris Baines. Or click here to see our blog.

February Fair Maids or Candlemas Bells, not quite the first sign of Spring!

Snowdrops appearing in our gardens or churchyards and along the verges are not the first sign of Spring, but they are a sign that the year has turned. Many snowdrops found in churchyards and monastic sites have been planted as a symbol of purity and hope.

The first known cultivation of snowdrops in the UK was recorded in 1597 and, while it is thought that it was pilgrims who brought this beautiful flower to our shores, it was the Victorians who enthusiastically planted them in churchyards and cemeteries.

Snowdrops go by over 30 different local names including dew drops, eve's tear and February Fair Maids. They are also known as Candlemas bells. 
In the Middle Ages Candlemas (held on the 2nd of February) was the day when everyone in the parish brought their candles to church to be blessed by the priest to ward off evil spirits. After a procession, and the blessing, the candles were all lit and set before the statue of the Virgin Mary. The snowdrop was the flower gathered to decorate the church at that time, so took on the name of that ancient tradition.

​​Churches Count on Nature dates announced

The dates for 2026 will be Saturday 6th to Sunday 14th June and we look forward to burial grounds across the country joining us to discover and share the range of wildlife found within.

For over 16 years we have been encouraging all who help to look after churchyards, chapel yards and cemeteries to celebrate these fantastic places in the lovely month of June.

Churches Count on Nature is part of Love Your Burial Ground Week, focusing on the brilliant wildlife to be found in churchyards and chapel yards. It is a joint initiative promoted by Caring for God's Acre, the Church of England, the Church in Wales and A Rocha UK. National Cemeteries Week is hosted by the National Federation of Cemetery Friends.

Registration will be live from 16th March and from that date a link can be found here.