This woodland grave in Lincolnshire has become lost in the undergrowth
A green burial site has become so overgrown that families are struggling to find their loved ones' plots.
Sutterton Natural Burial Ground in Lincolnshire has been neglected since it was repossessed in January.
The woodland site is in the grounds of the Grade II-listed Thatched Cottage pub, which was bought at auction by an unknown buyer earlier this month.
Relatives of the 27 people buried there are keen to know how it will be maintained in future.
Alan Burton, whose wife is buried there, has been working 10 hours a week to clear the overgrown area.
"There were a couple of people who were in tears and I managed to find their grave for them and we cleared it," he said.
'Distressing for families'
"I can't do this forever. I find it frustrating and it's hard work."
Allsop Auctioneer confirmed the plot sold for £185,000 on 15 September but declined to identify the buyer.
Rosie Inman-Cook, of the Association of Natural Burial Grounds, said she hoped the new owners would continue to use the land as a burial site but that they were not obliged to.
She said: "The people who have an outstanding right of burial there have a 99-year lease on that spot.
"The new owner I hope has been made aware. I have been trying to get messages through and it has been incredibly frustrating for myself, and it has been distressing for the families involved."
A green or natural burial is a choice for many who want to avoid the environmental impacts of modern funerals, such as emissions associated with cremation and the use of stone for memorials.
They are also supposed to create habitats for wildlife or preserve existing habitats.
A spokesman for Boston Borough Council said it had no involvement in the sale of the site.
- Published7 January 2016
