Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

Morden Cemetery
Borough: Merton
Grade: Metropolitan
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 15.57 ha

Description

This cemetery has a tranquil setting, hosting a surprising number of locally rare plants.

Wildlife

This site contains an area of rich neutral grassland, including many locally uncommon plants. The most impressive of these is the green-winged orchid, here at its only known remaining London locality. Once common in traditionally managed meadows, these orchids have declined drastically with changes in farming over the last fifty years and are now rare outside nature reserves. Other rare plants include pyramidal orchid, trailing St John's-wort, quaking-grass, cowslip and glaucous and grey sedges. Interestingly, the cemetery also features two horse chestnut trees that have grown up together to form a single canopy.The nationally scarce hornet clearwing moth also lives on the site.

Facilities

Information (on signs).
Green-winged orchid © Mike Waite

Green-winged orchid © Mike Waite
View of Morden Cemetery © Ian Yarham

View of Morden Cemetery © Ian Yarham

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More information on GiGL’s SINC dataset can be found here.

Additional information, including other site designations and species recorded onsite and nearby, can be provided in community and client data search reports. Request information here.