Visitors to Dover St James Cemetery will notice a different look in the coming year as measures to “rabbit proof” the cemetery are carried out. Rabbits often cause damage to the herbaceous borders by grazing and digging out plants, and alternatives to the usual solution of building a fence are being trialled. These include the use of Heathers and different types of plants and grasses which are unappealing to rabbits, planting larger plants which are more difficult to dig out, and also anchoring plants into the ground with wire or netting. If these trials prove to be unsuccessful, the area will be fenced and an evergreen hedge will be planted. This work is part of a larger restoration project of the Dunkirk plot which has seen the land levelled and the turf replaced. Almost 350 Second World War servicemen are buried in the plot, many of whom fell during the Dunkirk Evacuation of 1940.
