The greenspaces of urban churchyards are home to a surprising diversity of lichens, wildflowers and animals. Emily Castel, Alison Fairbrass, Ishpi Blatchley and Brian Cuthbertson describe efforts to survey the flora and fauna of London churchyards, and explain why these areas provide important refuges for our urban wildlife.
Old St Pancras (not to be confused with St Pancras Euston Road, the Grecian temple with caryatid porches) and its gardens is a fine example. Standing just behind St Pancras International Station, the church building is mock Romanesque, yet it possesses a Saxon altar stone and claims Romano-British origins.