St Nicholas Kirkyard, Aberdeen (2017)

St Nicholas Kirkyard, Aberdeen

Visited December 2017

The kirkyard (churchyard) of St Nicholas is right in the heart of Aberdeen, on the main shopping street, Union Street. I've visited here before, in the summer, but on a winter's day it's still lovely (if not somewhere to sit on a bench and ponder while waiting for a bus). The early graves were much clearer without their cloak of ivy from the summer, and somehow the leaves, moss and damp air made this feel more like a country churchyard than it does later in the year. 

Around the walls of the kirkyard are the most impressive memorials, presumably to the great and the good. Many date to the 17th and 18th centuries, and there are some lovely heraldic arms, skeletons and ships dotted among the inscriptions. The main burial area is dominated by moss-covered table tombs as well as gravestones from the late 1700s onwards. The earlier ones are at the side nearest Union Street, with those over the other side (Schoolhill?) being a bit later and more staid.

St Ninian’s Church, Fetternear, Aberdeenshire

St Ninian’s Church (ruins), Fetternear, Kemnay, Aberdeenshire

Visited August 2017

This site, in woodland near the ruins of the Bishops Palace, is a curious one. Apparently there’s been a church dedicated to St Ninian here since c. 1150, and a new chapel was then built in 1848. The present building, dating from 1878, stands over the foundations of the earlier buildings and their burials (including family tombs of the Leslie family, and at least one bishop), but due to a falling out between the landowning family and the Catholic Church it was never consecrated.

There’s a small graveyard around the ruin, which is now out of use. Most of the graves date to the 19th century, although there may be older ones lurk8ng in the undergrowth. The remains of the burials within the building aren’t visible, although a bit more poking around might have brought forth a few traces.

In winter the site might be more accessible, but in summer in was surrounded by bracken to be waded through, watching out for fallen walls, rabbit holes and ticks! Although the area is popular with dog walkers, they didn’t stray from the paths to come to this place, and there wasn’t much evidence anyone ever did...

St Mary the Virgin church, Fordwich, Kent

Churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich, Kent

Visited September 2017

The church of St Mary the Virgin is in the small town of Fordwich, near Canterbury. Fordwich itself is a lovely, old town with lots of timber framed buildings, and a timber framed town hall. It’s the smallest town in Englan with its own town council, and used to be an important Medieval port. 

The church itself is Norman in parts with a lot of later additions. It’s been out of use since the 1990s but is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust and is open to the public. Inside are old box pews, wall decorations and memorial brasses. There’s also a carved stone reputed to be part of the sarcophagus of St Augustine, but it was behind trestle tables on my visit and inaccessible.

In the little graveyard surrounding the church are some wonderful old gravestones with plenty of skulls and other symbols of death and remembrance. Behind the church the burials continue, with more Victorian and later stones.

If you’re in the area, Fordwich and it’s old church are definitely worth a visit (including the dog-friendly pub next door!)

Temple Church, London

Temple Church, London

Visited September 2015

The Temple Church in London is probably still best known from The Da Vinci Code, and of course it’s name does refer to the Knights Templar, although nowadays the area is best known for lawyers rather than Medieval crusading knights. The original round church dates to the mid-12th century, with the rectangular part added about 50 years later. When the Templars were abolished in the 16th century, the church was seized by the Crown and then given to the Inner and Middle Temple Inns of Court, who still own it today.

Inside the church are 13th and 14th century stone effigies of the knights buried there - given they’re over 700 years old they’re in very good condition! There are also the usual memorials to the great and the good in the main church. It’s definitely worth a visit, for the architecture, effigies, associations with the templars, and of course the wonderful ancient carving of grotesque heads around the walls in the round church.

St Nicholas Churchyard and Chiswick Old Cemetery, London

St Nicholas Churchyard and Chiswick Old Cemetery, London

Visited April 2016

St Nicholas church in Chiswick is the oldest parish church in Chiswick, dating from the 12th century. The current tower is from the 15th century, but most of the church building is Victorian. There are, I’m told, some wonderful memorials in the church, but sadly it was closed the day I visited.

In the Churchyard there are some important monuments, including the tomb of the artist Hogarth (top picture, below). If you poke around there are also some early stones with skulls and suchlike.

Adjoining the Churchyard is an extension to it, opened in 1871, known as Chiswick Old Cemetery. It’s rather flat, featureless and mundane compared to the Churchyard, but it does contain the tomb of the artist Whistler, and the grave of Frederick Hitch, holder of the V.C. which he won during the Zulu War.

The church and burial ground are easily reached from the Thames Path (the scenic way to arrive if coming on foot) or from Chiswick itself.

West Norwood Cemetery, London

West Norwood Cemetery, London

Visited 2016

Another visit to one of my local Victorian cemeteries. It doesn’t matter how often I visit, there always seems to be something new to see - despite large parts of it not being used for burials any more. The wildlife was out in force - the usual London selection of pigeons and grey squirrels mainly - and it feels like a little bit of countryside among the houses.