Heene Cemetery

The 0.4 hectares of neutral unimproved grassland and scrub that is Heene Cemetery constitute a rare urban example of ‘old meadow’. This walled and fenced graveyard saw its first recorded burial in 1874, and its last in 1977. It was closed to the general public in 1973. In 1992 it was designated a Site of Conservation Importance as old meadow land. From 1995 until 2008 The Sussex Wildlife Trust maintained the cemetery with quarterly cycles of clearance, and in 2015 The Friends of Heene Cemetery was set up to establish a programme of restoration. Whilst neglect has led to coarser grasses and invasive wild flower and shrub species taking over some of the site, it is intended to improve species diversity by cutting the grassland each year in late July and containing the more vigorous shrubs and tall grasses to provide some cover for wildlife without the risk of the site once again becoming overgrown. Light levels will also be controlled by selective management of the trees and other tall plants.