Summer is the season when UK family historians hit the road, and one of the places they head to is the churchyards where their ancestors are buried. This summer, grave concerns are being raised at the number of sheep and cows being allowed to roam over the final resting sites of our forebears.

"I think it is totally disrespectful to those buried there," writes FHA on the Your Family Tree online forum. "Those churchyards are obviously heavily fouled by the animals and it makes it very difficult for ancestor hunters and those wishing to pay their respects to walk on this disgusting mess!"

However churchyards have been used as grazing land since ancient times. Like the village green, they are seen as community property. Not only is the practice traditional, but some argue that it's environmentally friendly as well. With cows and sheep gnashing away on the grass it prevents the area from becoming overgrown, and negates the need to bring in machinery like lawnmowers that make noise and pollute the air.

Disrespect to the dead is only one aspect of the arguement. Some readers have found the sheer number of animals in the graveyards they've visited intimidating. They can't get to the graves they want to see with all the sheep rushing around. Others still point out that in comparision, urban cemeteries are being shown an equal amount of disrespect as they are allowed to fall into disrepair. Meanwhile, readers from Canada point out that over there cemeteries are well maintained without the need to graze sheep and cows on them.

Do you object to your ancestors resting under the hooves and dung of grazing animals? Post your comments below, or join the discussions at our online forum buy clicking here