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November 2009
Following discussions between our Ecology Coordinator and the City Council's Ecologist in October 2009, we have both agreed to put Project Tidy "on hold" for at least a year. This is due to the amount of mature ivy that has been removed from numerous graves in the vicinity of the Anglican chapel. There are now several rows of graves from which ivy has been removed, some of which were not initially earmarked for clearance under Project Tidy.
Mature ivy is a very important species in the ecosystem within the cemetery and too rapid a removal, particularly in one vicinity, will have a detrimental effect on wildlife. This is particularly true for the Holly Blue butterfly for which our cemetery is a Hampshire hot-spot, many other insects that rely on the late flowering ivy as a major food source and many bird species for whom the berries provide vital winter nutrition.
However, that does not stop FoSOC from removing immature (i.e. non-flowering) ivy from graves in the cemetery. Also, the graves already cleared under Project Tidy can continue to be kept clear of any regrowth of ivy, bramble and any other invasive vegetation; and we will make sure this is one of the tasks that will be regularly tackled during our monthly conservation mornings. Indeed, FoSOC volunteers who were involved in Project Tidy are free to "adopt" the grave(s) you helped to clear and continue to keep them tidy.
The FoSOC Committee would like to express their sincere thank to Dave Jacobs for devising and leading Project Tidy and all the volunteers who have helped to make such a difference to the appearance of the cemetery in the vicinity of the chapel.
Any enquiries can be directed to FoSOC through our e-mail address at fosoc1846@googlemail.com
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Click on DREW below to see how this grave was cleaned up.
At their February 2009 Meeting, the FoSOC Committee agreed to begin a new project, aimed at tidying up many of the important memorials in the Old Cemetery that had been long neglected. Memorials to a number of the more famous people have been kept clear for several years of course, and as a result of inquiries more are being discovered and cleared week by week.
The monuments targeted by the new scheme are those that no-one has shown any interest in, probably due to the families having moved away or died out. We are choosing those with a good chance of turning out to be significant, and indeed a couple of striking tombs have already been found.
The first job to be tackled was the grave of George Atherley, Senior, an influential Southampton banker and developer whose name occurs in many streets and institutions in the west part of Southampton.
The work was being done by volunteers and was separate from the regular ecology work, and so did not impact the long term plan to maintain the cemetery in a state that balances the ecological and historical needs
Below is a list of graves that were completed.
Link to individual files for before and after photos, inscriptions, etc.
(Click on a name below)
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