PRISTINE conditions at the county's largest burial ground will allow souls to lay in rest in fitting surrounds at Littleham Churchyard. Faced with a mammoth clean-up job, the church's burial ground committee will continue maintenance work this year with

PRISTINE conditions at the county's largest burial ground will allow souls to lay in rest in fitting surrounds at Littleham Churchyard.Faced with a mammoth clean-up job, the church's burial ground committee will continue maintenance work this year - with vital lessons learnt from 2007's efforts.The committee won a £16,000 district council repair fund reprieve in 2007, to ward off closure of the historic site. The 11-acre site is the final resting place of Lady Nelson, amongst some 10,000 graves.Maintenance last autumn and winter saw headstones straightened, ground levelled and reseeded, and kerbstones removed to allow mowing and garden work.The Exeter Diocese has now granted permission for members of the committee to start further retouches, in area 'Z2' - with plots mainly dating back to the 1950s.Last year's changes caused minor complaints over the disruption to the burial sites - which was mainly undertaken to help continued maintenance of the churchyard and reduce the annual cost of upkeep.The burial ground committee say the experience gained from previous works will alleviate future problems.Committee member Derek Norris said: "Members of the public, in general, supported the scheme but there were a few who voiced their concerns. Wherever possible, those concerns were addressed."New grass is now showing through and, when the growth starts again in the spring and a couple of cuts are made, these transformations should look exceedingly neat and tidy."A plan has been developed to undertake the same work, yet in a manner which will not be so intrusive. "This should allay any of the concerns that were voiced previously."Maintenance will begin in February, with interested parties invited to contact the parish administrator at the Holy Trinity Church on (01395) 263681 to inquire about repair details.