The churchyard is one of the most enduring features of our landscape. The 20,000 churchyards of England and Wales span every possible habitat from seashore and rocky coastline to grass and heathland, moor and deep wood. Over the centuries, the churchyard has established itself as an unofficial nature reserve where an abundance of indigenous and naturalized wildlife flourishes undisturbed. The watercolours and drawings in this book evoke this miniature landscape through the changing seasons. The text chronicles the history, traditions and customs of rural parish communities, and describes the practical steps that are needed to conserve a dangerously neglected and threatened part of our inheritance.