One of Kent’s most peaceful and treasured green spaces deserves greater recognition as a wildlife and historical gem, say campaigners.

Now plans are being drawn up to provide greater care for the Canterbury’s 20-acre cemetery and celebrate the burial ground where loved ones are remembered in a tranquil setting surrounded by nature.

Opened in 1877, it is the final resting place for almost 30,000 lost souls, including fallen soldiers, famous authors, dignitaries and civilians killed in the devastating German Baedeker raids of 1942, which claimed 43 lives.

But the cemetery is also home to abundant wildlife, with 300 different species of trees and wildflowers attracting a symphony of birdsong.

And it is those precious attributes that a new Friends of Canterbury Cemetery group will seek to preserve and enhance.

Plans to create the group were launched at a recent public meeting, organised by the Canterbury Society at the Friends Meeting House in the city where almost 50 people volunteered to get involved.

The response has delighted Jan Pahl from the society who says a steering committee will now be established to formulate the group and its remit, working with the city council, which manages the cemetery.

“The Friends will have the support of the council but will be a voluntary group, like other similar ones which already help to care for other open spaces in the city,” she said.

“Their activities could involve going on guided walks around the cemetery, helping to plant flowers and trees, clearing litter and hearing talks about the notable people buried there.”

The evening also included talks by cemetery manager Jon Kreffer and Stewart Ross of the Canterbury Commemoration Society, who says it is a treasure trove of nature and history.

The main building at the entrance in Westgate Court Road is a double chapel and spire, created by architect John Green Hall, who lived in St Margaret’s Street and worked as a city surveyor.

He was also responsible for the Roman Catholic church in Burgate and the Congregational church in Guildhall Street.

Among the notable resting places are those of an estimated 146 Great War soldiers and a further 54 men who died in the Second World War.

A particularly poignant grave is that of 13-year-old Kathleen Rosa Raines, killed “during enemy action” on April 20, 1941 - the youngest of several teenagers buried there.

There is also the one of war hero Thomas Byrne who was awarded the Victoria Cross aged 21, following his exploits at the Battle of Omdurman in Sudan, in 1898.

He later fought in the Boer War during which Winston Churchill - a reporter in Sudan at the time of Omdurman - heralded him as “the bravest man I have ever known”.

Byrne lived from 1914 to 1944 in Notley Street where his home is marked with a blue plaque.

Also buried there is Cecil Northcote Parkinson, a writer and historian famous for his work on public administration and management titled ‘Parkinson’s Law’, who lived in Harkness Drive.

Another grave is that of South African journalist Harry Bloom who challenged the apartheid system and was exiled to the UK.

He became a senior law lecturer at the University of Kent and married Sonia Copeland Bloom, the mother of Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom, who he believed was his father until age 13 when she revealed to him his father was a family friend, Colin Stone.

There is also a lovingly tended children’s section with colourful toys and mementoes marking their resting places.

Many graves have clearly been long abandoned for generations, their inscriptions all but weathered away.

But fresh flowers and care are lavished on others.

Visitors often park themselves on a bench and simply enjoy the peaceful setting.

“Some people think of it as a morbid place and never visit when, in fact, it’s quite enchanting,” said one pensioner in the cemetery this week.

“I prefer the older part of the cemetery because it’s not so regimented in its layout,” he added.

Stewart Ross said: “The cemetery is a treasure trove of history and nature which offers a lot of opportunities for education.

“So the Canterbury Commemoration Society is delighted to be involved in this project to celebrate its extraordinary history and wildlife.

“We hope to improve signage and create more educational opportunities, especially for young people, who can learn about some of the fascinating and significant people buried there.”

A city council spokesman added: “We are very much looking forward to working closely with an established Friends group and connecting further with the wider community.

"We hope that together, we can enhance the already outstanding natural beauty of the site, as well as to help celebrate more effectively, the rich and vibrant history of the cemetery."

Anyone interested in becoming a ‘friend’ should email Jan at j.m.pahl@kent.ac.uk.