SIR - I write as Chairman of St Alkelda’s Church, Giggleswick Parochial Church Council (PCC) in response to a letter from Mr M Symons ('Sadness on jungle at historic church', July 19) regarding his dissatisfaction with our churchyard and his difficulty in locating his family grave.

A few years ago a survey of all the gravestones and memorials was carried out by the PCC.

A directory of the many hundreds of burials, together with a map of the known graves was produced.

It is readily available for inspection inside the Church and is frequently used by relatives wishing to trace a family grave.

Recently visitors from Canada, Australia New Zealand and the USA have found this useful.

The graveyards have areas designated as ‘Wildlife areas’ that are sympathetically managed to encourage flora and fauna in this rural setting.

Numerous pathways have been cut to enable access for visitors as well as for both adults’ study groups and classes from the local primary school for fieldwork in science studies.

We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of church and local volunteers who tend the areas on daily or weekly basis and assist visitors to discover family graves.

If prior advice of a visit is received then every effort is made to make access to a grave so that the visitor may tend it.

Their work is occasionally assisted by relatives of those buried who maintain individual graves.

The grave that Mr Symons sought was in a corner of one of the oldest parts of a Wildlife area.

I hope that he now aware of the reason why it appeared to be neglected and that help was at hand in finding it.

Should he or any of your readers want to join the team who care for our churchyards they can telephone me on 01729 825399.

Roger Brearley, Chairman, St Alkelda’s Church PCC