The extensive grounds belonging to St Gregory's Church comprise three tiers. The grounds immediately around the church are well-tended with just a few graves on the grass to three sides, the east side containing several modern-day graves along with a smattering of the oldest ones.
The other two tiers are on sloping ground to the west, between the church green and the main road.This part has been abandoned and left to become derelict.
I was walking along the road one day when I noticed that the churchyard was full of ox-eye daisies. Totally besotted with them, I went back a couple of days later with my camera, which was when I realised how derelict this part of the churchyard is. Apologies in advance for the amount of photos. I spent a couple of hours there, went away to do something else then went back later in the day to take more. Needless to say, I had too many pics to choose from.
One of the things that struck me, is that the graves aren't all that old. The dates are mostly between 1910 and the late 1950s. The headstones themselves weren't all that interesting either...no unusual decoration or inscriptions...but it was very peaceful and delightful amongst the flowers.
Further on in and the graves were packed together closely with small strips of concrete walkways between them.
It was at this point that I looked down and realised that most of them had caved in due to subsidence. Even some of the concrete paths had broken up with gaping holes in the earth beneath. Cue an Edgar Alan Poe moment of sheer horror! At which point I made a very careful and hasty retreat. lol
I found another, grassy and more stable path around to take more pics. Sorry there's so many...I was entranced with it, in a horrified sort of way.
In the photo below can be seen how the subsidence has caused the headstones to lean all over the place. Many of them have toppled over and have been lain upon the graves.
The grave on the right, with the rather sorry-looking seagull on the top, belongs to a twenty-year old young lady who fell from the cliffs whilst pursuing her hobby of natural history, which is very sad.
The next two were also poignant, as they belong to two Czechoslovakian soldiers who were billeted here during WW2.
Over in the shady side running along the north side of the church. On the church side the grounds are well tended but have been left neglected on the other side of the path.
At the bottom end of the churchyard, headstones have been stood up along the hedge.
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for looking.
The other two tiers are on sloping ground to the west, between the church green and the main road.This part has been abandoned and left to become derelict.
I was walking along the road one day when I noticed that the churchyard was full of ox-eye daisies. Totally besotted with them, I went back a couple of days later with my camera, which was when I realised how derelict this part of the churchyard is. Apologies in advance for the amount of photos. I spent a couple of hours there, went away to do something else then went back later in the day to take more. Needless to say, I had too many pics to choose from.
One of the things that struck me, is that the graves aren't all that old. The dates are mostly between 1910 and the late 1950s. The headstones themselves weren't all that interesting either...no unusual decoration or inscriptions...but it was very peaceful and delightful amongst the flowers.
Further on in and the graves were packed together closely with small strips of concrete walkways between them.
It was at this point that I looked down and realised that most of them had caved in due to subsidence. Even some of the concrete paths had broken up with gaping holes in the earth beneath. Cue an Edgar Alan Poe moment of sheer horror! At which point I made a very careful and hasty retreat. lol
I found another, grassy and more stable path around to take more pics. Sorry there's so many...I was entranced with it, in a horrified sort of way.
In the photo below can be seen how the subsidence has caused the headstones to lean all over the place. Many of them have toppled over and have been lain upon the graves.
The grave on the right, with the rather sorry-looking seagull on the top, belongs to a twenty-year old young lady who fell from the cliffs whilst pursuing her hobby of natural history, which is very sad.
The next two were also poignant, as they belong to two Czechoslovakian soldiers who were billeted here during WW2.
Over in the shady side running along the north side of the church. On the church side the grounds are well tended but have been left neglected on the other side of the path.
At the bottom end of the churchyard, headstones have been stood up along the hedge.
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for looking.
