Glastonbury Cemetery grass delays blamed on heat

By Laura Linham 14th Jul 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 1 hour ago

Hot weather has delayed work to bring Glastonbury Cemetery back up to standard after complaints about long grass and untidy areas.

Glastonbury Town Council announced in June that specialist contractors had been appointed to take on regular maintenance at the cemetery, following a review by its Staffing Committee.

But the cemetery is still looking tatty in places, with the first phase of work yet to fully bring the site back under control.

The town clerk said the council had appointed a specialist contractor who also cuts other cemeteries, and that the aim was to get the site back to a manageable condition before regular maintenance begins.

"The update is that we have a specialist contractor that cuts other cemeteries getting it back to a manageable condition and then it will be regularly maintained," the clerk said. "The issue we've had in having this initial works completed is the weather with it being so hot."

The issue follows the retirement of the former Cemetery Warden in December 2025 after many years in the role.

After that, the council's Staffing Committee decided to spend six months assessing the workload needed to maintain the cemetery properly. In June 2026, the committee appointed a contractor.

The council said at the time that it had received "comments, concerns, complaints, and even compliments" about the length of grass in some parts of the cemetery.

At its meeting on 15 June 2026, the Staffing Committee agreed to appoint specialist contractors to carry out regular maintenance of grassed areas and wildflower sections.

The contracted maintenance programme had been expected to begin during the week beginning 22 June 2026, after initial works to bring the cemetery back to a higher standard.

The council's plan is for one cut or strim per month during winter, and two cuts or strims per month during spring, summer and autumn across the site.

It said the approach would still allow wildflowers such as ox-eye daisies and primroses to flourish.

The council has said some areas may be managed in a more natural, wildlife-friendly way, while others will be kept more formally maintained for cemetery visitors.

It said the aim was to support biodiversity while ensuring the cemetery remains a respectful and well-presented place for families, friends and visitors.

Glastonbury Town Council has said maintaining the cemetery has become more challenging after it took on additional land through the devolution of services and assets.

It also said staff shortages had placed extra pressure on operational teams.

The council said appointing specialist contractors was intended to create a more proactive and consistent approach to the cemetery throughout the year.