This is the plan for this year (2024) provided by EDDC
Management Plan for Sidmouth Cemetery – January 2024 to December 2024
This management plan for Sidmouth Cemetery for 2024 is the official plan and, as such, the only plan that EDDC staff will follow.
Map of Sidmouth Cemetery and its 3 Sections
Maintenance Requirements for the 3 Sections
This area should be mown/strimmed, on average, on a 5- to 6-week cycle throughout the growing season. The maintenance cycle should be reduced according to the speed of grass growth; determined by seasonal and weather conditions but should not exceed a 6-week interval except in extended drought conditions, when grass growth becomes suspended.
All arisings to be blown off gravestones as much as is practical, which is to be determined by weather conditions and the capacity of the grounds team on each maintenance cycle.
Ideally, all hard surfaces to be kept clear of weeds. However, the continued deterioration of the hard surface paths has resulted in weed and grass ingress in the cracks. Due to the removal of which, either manually or mechanically, potentially worsening of the condition of the paths’ surfaces, interim solutions are being discussed prior to resurfacing at, as yet, an unknown point. As an interim measure, selected seeds to be sown into the cracks in a small section of path in spring 2024 as a trail to help to increase the cemetery’s biodiversity, suppress surface weed growth, mask the poor condition of the pathways’ surfaces and increase aesthetics.
There is potential for future tree planting in the unoccupied sections beside the allotments at the southern end of this section to increase biodiversity and provide much-needed shade in the summer.
Area 2
This area should be mown/strimmed, on average, on a 5- to 6-week cycle throughout the growing season. The maintenance cycle should be reduced according to the speed of grass growth; determined by seasonal and weather conditions but should not exceed a 6-week interval except in extended drought conditions, when grass growth becomes suspended.
All arisings to be blown off gravestones as much as is practical, which is to be determined by weather conditions and the capacity of the grounds team on each maintenance cycle.
Ideally, all hard surfaces to be kept clear of weeds. However, the continued deterioration of the hard surface paths has resulted in weed and grass ingress in the cracks. Due to the removal of which, either manually or mechanically, potentially worsening of the condition of the paths’ surfaces, interim solutions are being discussed prior to resurfacing at, as yet, an unknown point. As an interim measure, selected seeds to be sown into the cracks in a small section of path in spring 2024 as a trail to help to increase the cemetery’s biodiversity, suppress surface weed growth, mask the poor condition of the pathways’ surfaces and increase aesthetics.
The canopy of the silver birch at the end of the drive should be maintained to avoid impinging on vehicle access.
2,000 spring bulbs were planted in this area in October 2021 by a volunteer group and the Horticultural Technical Officer in several of the grass strips either side of hard pathways. See map of locations below.
These marginal areas of Area 2 should be left without mechanical maintenance until the spring bulbs have ‘gone over’, which should coincide with the start of the maintenance season. However, with an earlier start to the season, the first maintenance cycle should avoid the bulbs.
Area 3
This area should be left to become an area for wildlife improvement, with several closely mown pathways cut (and collected) through and around the wildlife improvement area for safe access of pedestrians.
A compost bay was created in 2021 to help with disposal of arisings resulting from closely mown pathways through and around the area. This will prevent the time-consuming task of removing the waste from site.
2024 will not see the cutting and collection of this area due to capacity.
Examples of wildlife improvement area pathways/cue-to-care lines
Education and Information
- There is potential for an information board at the entrance to Area 3 to explain to visitors the importance of leaving the area for wildlife, to show examples of wildflowers and their pollinators, and provide an EDDC contact for relatives of those at rest to request the inclusion of a cut around a particular grave to be added onto the cut and collect of pathways through the wildlife improvement area, and for the management plan to be altered to include this extra cut.
- EDDC’s website and social media platforms to include more information around the management and maintenance of the cemetery, to be implemented by EDDC’s Parks and Gardens team.
Volunteer Involvement
- A possible ‘friends of…’ group to assist with future caretaking, to include specific and manual (non-mechanical) tasks, such as weeding shrub borders, weeding gutters, edging kerbs, leaf clearance and raking up arisings.
- Volunteers to attend only during an allotted time, to wear Hi-Viz apparel and to comply with risk assessments and method statements for each session.
- A volunteer agreement of tasks that volunteers can and cannot undertake to be signed by all volunteers annually.
- EDDC’s Parks and Gardens team to oversee and monitor volunteer tasks and create schemes of work.