The Bishop of Hereford has been informed of this cultural vandalism.

St Lawrence, Stretton Grandison, Herefordshire 

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The church probably occupies the site of a former Saxon timbered building, which was rebuilt in Norman times of tufa and some stone. There is evidence of this early build in the first stage of the tower. It was rebuilt using local sandstone in the 14th century by the Grandison family, in the Decorated style.

 

 

 Against fierce opposition St Lawrence, Stretton Grandison has been awarded first prize in the "least respectful churchyard in Herefordshire" competition. The Bishop of Hereford has been informed of this cultural vandalism. 

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Old Style (O.S.) was used to show that a date was being reported in the Julian calendar rather than in the Gregorian.

 St Chad, Hamner, Wrexham

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This was a lovely location - on a hill looking down over Hamner Mere.

 

 

 Old Style (O.S.) was used to show that a date was being reported in the Julian calendar rather than in the Gregorian. In England the change-over took place in 1752.

 

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James died in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp.

 St Peter, Arnesby, Leicestershire

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It is disappointing and rather disrespectful that part of this graveyard has become so overgrown that some of the graves cannot be accessed.

 

 

James died in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp. 

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Five year old Joyce McClelland was drowned in 1952.

Barnoon Cemetery, St Ives, Cornwall  

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We surveyed this cemetery in two visits - one before breakfast and one between breakfast and meeting up with family members at 10:30AM. What dedication!

 

 

Five year old Joyce McClelland was drowned in 1952. 

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The first memorial in the churchyard (May 1854).

 Hengoed Cemetery, Hengoed, Shropshire

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The cemetery was built on the site of the demolished St Barnabas church.

 

 

The first burial in the original churchyard was in May 1854.

 

 

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The Widow McArthur didn't use her first name on this gravestone. How curious.

 Kilmartin Cemetery, Argyll and Bute, Scotland

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Kilmartin, 30 miles south of Oban, is conveniently placed for exploring a large number of archaelogical sites. The war memorial, in the form of an arch over the entrance to the Kirk grounds, is of a most unusual design.

 

 

 The Widow McArthur didn't use her first name on this gravestone. How curious. 

 

Visited - June 2009

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Just two of 230,000 people who died in the 2004 Asian tsunami

 St Crida, Creed, Cornwall

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The patron saint of Creed is first recorded as St Crite in the 10th century and may well have been a Cornish saint. Generally thought to be female, later tradition claims her as the daughter of either King Mark of Cornwall or an Irish king.

 

 

Catherine and Len were just two of 230,000 people who died in the Asian tsunami on 26 December 2004.  

 

Visited - June 2014

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Alfred Edward Housman was best known for his cycle of poems "A Shropshire Lad".

 St Laurence, Ludlow, Shropshire

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The Parish Church of Ludlow dedicated to St Laurence is one

of the largest parish churches in the country.

 

 

 Alfred Edward Housman was a classical scholar and poet, best known for his cycle of poems "A Shropshire Lad". 

 

Visited - September 2013

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An elderly married couple who died on the same day.

 Brosley Cemetery, Broseley, Shropshire

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This was the first time that we have been forced to abandon a visit due to rain. It got so wet that we went home and returned two days later to complete the survey.

 

 

 An elderly married couple who died on the same day. 

 

Visited - May 2011

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Major Hatherley George Moor was killed "leading his men into action".

St Clement, St Clement, Cornwall 

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The church is medieval but has lost much of its interest due to later restorations and most of the present fabric is from 1865 .There is also a large cemetery on the opposite side of the lane to the church.

 

 

 Major Hatherley George Moor was killed "leading his men into action". He was terribly wounded in the hip and side by an explosive bullet and he lived for about a quarter of an hour afterwards without showing any outward signs of pain.  

 

Visited - June 2014

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Three children died within 12 days!

 All Saints, Sapcote, Leicestershire

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It is nice to see that the grass has been kept short but we would have prefered to have seen the cut grass removed as well.

 

Three children died within 12 days! 

 

Visited - May 2010

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A survivor of a Siberian slave labour camp is an unusual find to make in Wolverhampton.

 Danescourt Cemetery, Woverhampton, West Midlands

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We visited here on a sunny Remembrance Sunday. It was quite busy with other visitors.

 

 

 A survivor of a Siberian slave labour camp is an unusual find to make in Wolverhampton. 

 

Visited - November 2012

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It is unusual to report the number of years and months for an adult.

 St Martin, Liskeard, Cornwall

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We made two trips here, once on our own and once with the wounded warriors Stephen and Hilary. We still ran out of time to finish the job.

 

 

 It is unusual to report the number of years and months for an adult. 

 

Visited - September 2009

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The 1,800 ton ore ship Febrero went down with all hands except the ship's cook in 1910.

 Sennen Cemetery, Cornwall

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The cemetery is just down the road from the famous church.

 

 

 The 1,800 ton ore ship Febrero went down with all hands except the ship's cook in 1910.  

 

Visited - May 2012

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James Warren's last words were claimed to be, "Sweet dying, die to live again."

 St Just, St Just, Cornwall

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This visit was made more memorable by having my brother and his wife helping us, but then we managed to lose her!

 

 

 James Warren's last words were claimed to be, "Sweet dying, die to live again." 

 

Visited - May 2012

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A late 13th century effigy of a Knight Templar.

 St Mary the Virgin, Bishops Frome, Herefordshire

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This church has its origins in the late 12th century although the tower is late 14th century. The Chancel was rebuilt in 1847 and the nave and aisle were rebuilt in 1861-2 by F.R. Kempson.  

 

 

 

  

Visited - September 2014

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Bertie Hope was killed in a motor cycle accident - in 1929!

 St Mary, Mucklestone, Staffordshire

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The church of Saint Mary at Mucklestone, which originally served the whole of the ancient parish, is in the decorated style. Except for the tower, it was rebuilt according to church records in 1789 and again in 1883 by Lynam and Rickman in keeping with the surviving medieval tower. It contains stained glass windows designed by Charles Kempe in the 19th century including commemorations of the Battle of Blore Heath.

 

 

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The mason managed to make four mistakes on one side of the memorial.

St John the Baptist, Ashley, Staffordshire 

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The church of St John the Baptist possesses a 17th-century tower with the remainder built in 1860-62 by J. Ashdown of London in a style representative of the 13th -14th century. The church is notable for its collection of funerary art from several centuries so we were disappointed to find the door was locked.

 

 

The mason managed to make four mistakes on one side of the memorial.

 

 

  

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Killed, aged 4, by accident in Green Lane.

 St John the Baptist, Claines, Worcestershire

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The church of St John the Baptist is well known for its proximity to "The Mug House" public house, with only the graveyard separating the two buildings. The Mug House, which has a history dating back at least 600 years, is believed to be one of only two pubs standing in consecrated grounds.

 

 

 John Robert Hill aged four was "killed by accident in Green Lane" in 1924.

 

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An unusual mosaic design. We have only seen one similar example during the survey.

Stratford Upon Avon Cemetery, Warwickshire 

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This was a large cemetery so we were very grateful to have our younger daughter

Sally with us to speed up the survey. There were a large number of graves

of interest to photograph and, perhaps surprisingly, many military graves for

airmen from the Royal Canadian Air Force.

 

 

 An unusual mosaic design. We have only seen one similar example during the survey. 

 

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Walter Godwin was killed by a fallen tree when he was 45.

 St Peter and St Paul, Eye, Herefordshire

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Parts of the churchyard were a thick tangle of brambles and long grass. Some effort had been made to make the military graves accessible.

 

 

 Walter Godwin was killed by a fallen tree when he was 45. His wife Helen lived to be 102.

 

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Killed on the Hood when the ship was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck.

 Kidderminster Cemetery, Worcestershire

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The cemetery has been built along the floor and up the sides of a valley near the centre of the town.

 

 

 Killed on the Hood when the ship was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck. 

 

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Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick was shot by IRA sniper

 Market Drayton Cemetery, Market Drayton, Shropshire

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A medium sized gem with lots of interesting finds and some curious features such as the twin chapel with a central arch that "by order" should only be approached by a hearse driven in reverse gear.

 

 

 Lance Bombardier Stephen Restorick was shot by IRA sniper at a checkpoint in Bessbrook, County Armagh when he was aged 23, in February 1997.  

 

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An inmate of the Blind Asylum.

 St Mary, Barnsley, South Yorkshire

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The large number of old memorials surrounding the church were still very readable despite dating from the 18th and 19th centuries

 

 

 An inmate of the Blind Asylum. 

 

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