The Historic Churchyards Group was set up in 2002 to help make the churchyards of Cornwall’s central mining villages safer and more easily accessible for research and education, and to enhance their value as places of tranquility, reflection and peace.
Rural churchyards are like time capsules that preserve a record of those who have lived and died in the parish. They also provide a refuge untouched by the ravages of development and urban sprawl which is particularly valuable as a habitat for wildlife: from mice to lichens; newts to bluebells; song birds to butterflies.
The churchyards are managed to encourage and enhance this biodiversity whilst at the same time maintaining a respectful degree of formality and order.
The Group comprises representatives of the local churches and parish councils together with the aid of local historians, naturalists, and volunteer help, and seeks to research and record details of those at rest in the churchyards before time and nature have their effect on headstones and memories. More details can be found on the Historic Churchyard Project website at www.cornwallminingvillagechurchyards.net.
The website includes details of the graves in the churchyards at Gwennap and Stithians. It even has a facility to allow you to search for a particular name in the gravestone details.
