St Nicholas Churchyard, Arundel

St Nicholas Churchyard, Arundel, West Sussex

Visited May 2015

At the top of the town, behind the Castle and just across the road from the Cathedral, is the 14th century church of St Nicholas. The church itself is peaceful, and well worth a visit, and it is surrounded on 3 sides by this lovely country style churchyard. 

Most of the gravestones date from the Victorian period or later, although traces of older graves can be found - some very worn gravestones still stand, and the stones that make up the paths are (at least in places) formed of broken pieces of gravestones.  There is at least one marker made of cast iron, something not found much outside of Sussex.

St Mary's Churchyard, Hailsham, East Sussex

St Mary's Churchyard, Hailsham, East Sussex

Visited August 2014

Right in the centre of the market town of Hailsham is this well kept urban cemetery. Memorials date from the 18th century onwards, including some iron grave markers. These iron markers are first found in Sussex from the 17th century.

Churchyard of All Saints, Heathfield, East Sussex

Churchyard of All Saints, Heathfield, East Sussex

Visited August 2014

A lovely churchyard, hidden down a lane in the old part of town.  When you go in, it all seems sanitised and perhaps even cleared, but walk down the hill away from the church and you'll be in a much older and wilder part of the churchyard.

Churchyard of St Thomas, Brightling, East Sussex

Brightling Churchyard, East Sussex

Visited August 2014

This lovely little rural churchyard, of St Thomas church in Brightling, is best known for the really rather splendid 1834 pyramid mausoleum of "Mad" Jack Fuller. If you're in the area, the countryside around Brightling is dotted with follies he built.  
The churchyard is very pretty, lots of stones from the 18th century onwards. On the day I visited, there were no people there, just a flock of sheep and some Indian runner ducks!