Shrub clearance along Underhill Rd Cemetery fence

[fl0wer]

Yesterday, chainsaws were at work in the bit of Camberwell Old Cemetery bordering Underhill Rd. Now there's little shrubbery left, & between the tall trees you can see across to the next areas designated as burial sites. Strong winds will also find their way across and further weaken the already-fragile chestnut trees, so we can expect more tree casualties and lopping and crown reduction teams in the near future.

Two consolations to be gained from these apparently destructive gestures are

i) there will be fewer hiding places inside the Cemetery, eg for burglars or fly tipping;

ii) the Council has chosen a time of year when few creatures are active, eg no nesting birds will have been disturbed.

However, all the small invertebrates normally existing at ground level, which provide food for overwintering birds and animals, will have had their shrubby shelter cleared away and many will be trampled & killed along with the tree bark and fungi.

Next Spring increased levels of daylight will enter this cleared woodland to promote a fresh germination of wildflowers, hopefully NOT the Japanese knotweed! Let's observe which other species regenerate, as some may be rare, perhaps dormant in this topsoil for decades. Please be ready to photograph them and ask groups like the Wildlife Trust to ensure some seeds get collected. It will not be acceptable for the Council to start splashing around with more glyphosate, before this process has been allowed to unfold. Things like native bluebells are capable of surviving under a forest floor for thirty years and more, they are protected species, as are the moths and butterflies which thrive in glades.

[fl0wer]

It is quite interesting to see where plantings of privet hedge (now felled) and sunken pathways or ditches emerge from this newly cleared ground. Has anyone got some documentation from long ago, showing what the cemetery layout looked like? It appears that once upon a time there were entrance gates at all 4 corners.

[Calsug]

My flat looks directly in to what would appear the most heavily felled area, have to admit I am very upset by the false promises that there would be little disruption and it would be light clearance they have totally stripped the place - looks horrible.