Repairs needed after cemetery landslide – Our work continues

Storm repairs after landslide

Repairs to a hillside cemetery in South Africa are progressing well after severe storms led to landslides at Durban (Stellawood) Cemetery. Over the years the erosive sand in the ground, known as Berea red, had become unstable. When heavy rainwater overwhelmed the storm drains significant portions of this Commission plot were damaged last year. Thankfully the damage was not deep enough to disturb any remains.

Temporary repairs have already seen the initial landslip filled in, cleared the drainage system of debris and reinstalled damaged headstones. However, further bad weather during the lockdown has revealed the need for significant renovations to secure the area long-term.

While damage was considerable, no remains were disturbed below the ground

Local experts have been supporting our South Africa team to find a solution that strengthens the steep embankments of this historic site so it can stand up to the challenges of the ever-changing climate. Work is currently due to begin shortly on the stabilisation and planting of the entire site.

The coastal city of Durban was a centre for medical treatment in both World Wars and nearly 700 Commonwealth war dead lie at rest here under CWGC’s care.

The landslip filled in and headstones reinstated, work now focuses on long-term protection and horticultural management

Naval memorial in ship shape condition

One of our iconic trio of naval memorials in the UK (Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham) has undergone essential maintenance. Work first began before the Covid-19 lockdown when the Plymouth Naval Memorial’s stone planters, which flank the steps leading from the Hoe to the memorial lawn, were stripped back and repaired with more modern water proofing materials.

After this a new planting scheme was installed using plants that respected the original architect’s designs and be tolerant to this harsh, windy site. Hawthorn trees (Crategus persimilis ‘Prunifolia’) have been added to give new height to the planting and provide spring flowers and summer fruit, the Escallonia hedge which runs along the Hoe boundary has also been replanted.

New planting in the restored stonework at the memorial’s base

Since March our in-house experts have continued their work at a slower pace as they worked around social distancing guidelines.

Now in its final stages, the restoration programme has moved onto the underground drainage system that protects the memorial’s foundations, bringing them up to modern standards.

After 80 years of exposure to the sea air the memorial was in need of careful maintenance to ensure it continues to stand proud over Plymouth Sound.

Efforts now turn to upgrading the drainage system that runs under the memorial

The grass keeps growing

Gardening in the time of Coronavirus is challenging for our global teams. Travel restrictions and lockdowns make some of our core regular tasks problematic.

Even short absences without cutting the grass can see sites easily become overgrown, like here in Sfax War Cemetery in Tunisia. Our gardeners have since been able to return and quickly again maintain the site to its high standard, but the stop-start nature of our work due to COVID restrictions now has made this a common issue around the world.

Before and after, our gardeners at Sfax War Cemetery in Tunisia made quick work of the overgrowth

For an organisation that normally mows grass which covers the equivalent of nearly 1,000 football pitches, each absence quickly adds up. As soon as it is safe to do so, we are ensuring our teams can act swiftly, gradually reducing the grass height to our usual standards as we adapt to the new normal.