Hatch, Match and Dispatch
April 13, 2008Births marriages and deaths, the church and it’s yard tells it all, a unique record of the of the people who passed this way before.
So I bring you some images of a chapel, a very old one, when I say old I mean old, founded in 1662; now what I know about ecclesiastical history, you could write on the back of a communion wafer, save to say I think this chapel played a historic part in the development of the non conformist church. I didn’t set out to photograph this place, I just sort of got sidetracked.
When I looked at this elevation, I thought it was a shame to see a modern burglar alarm stuck on the side of a historic building,
But then they could have put it on the southern elevation and that would have been much worse
So back to the burglar alarm, what would they founders of this church have made of that? The door was locked, a sign of the times? to guard against vandalism? certainly when I was a child, church’s weren’t locked.
But there was evidence of vandalism, graffiti on the windows; the writer left his/her name and the date, 1869 and returned again in 1874 etched in the glass.
There was evidence of make do and mend, on going changes to the fabric of the place.
In the older part of the grave yard there were some impressive stones, who’s inscriptions are as sharp and clear as the day they were carved.
The primroses were in flower, amongst the stones, as I imagine they all ways have, since 1662 and before
As well as the ‘flash with the cash’ tombs there was also evidence of ‘off the shelf’ stone masonry, more your ‘mid range’ tomb stone, many of the stones had the same motif, ‘Thy Will Be Done’
There will have been many graves that had no stone and some that were very simple, like this one, just two initials
Looking at them made me think of the phrase Joe used to trot out when he was a bout 4 years old and just trying to get his head around the fact that things die, ‘When your dead, your dead.’ he used to announce to any one and everyone and he’s right, for posh stone or paupers stone, the moss and the ivy still grow, all things being equal, in death.
The part of the church yard that is in use today, was vibrant and well kept and loved, some of the stones had very personal mementos on them, I wonder what people used to leave at the grave side back in the seventeen hundreds?
There had been a recent wedding,
By the gate, the leaves of the yew tree, (the symbolism of the of yew trees, often found in church yards, in representing the soul’s immortality, is said to predate Christianity) with the modern day addition of fag ends and confetti
Am I coming over as morbid on this post? it didn’t feel that way, just reflective, an an interesting diversion.
No not morbid at all! I think this is a most interesting entry.
I always wonder why burglar alarms can’t be disguised, especially on such buildings. I suppose that being able to see them like that is both a deterrent and a form of advertising!
No, don’t worry, it didn’t seem morbid in the least. Thank you for being diverted - excellent photos and an interesting meditation.
I was expecting, from the title of this post, something about fluffy chicks, what your hens have produced, or something pretty. This is altogether more satisfying. It is the photo of the fag ends and confetti, in sequence as it is, that has most impact for me. What could be more ephemeral than confetti? And less ephemeral than stone?
Nice one, UHDD.
Very interesting. I like the graffiti pictures, - and the fascinating contrast between the writers world in 1869 and the readers in 2008. I wonder what he would say, if he knew that a copy of his little autograph would be transformed into invisible waves one day, and end up in a house in Denmark…
Quite a thought isn’t it.
I take a lot of comfort from feeling part of it all - even the crumbling into eternity. I imagine that one day the burglar alarm will be considered a historic addition - that tour guides will discuss it as emblematic of the early 21st century. Hope the primroses will still be coming back.
Awesome post. Cemeteries hold an intense fascination. I recently did a post on an old cemetery (by US standards, not yours) and had remarkable comments. Seems a great many of us wander through church yards.
The history of this church so comes out in the personalized details you captured. Really lovely work.
I an a morbid way I like the gravestone pictures. Very fascinating.
Thanks for your remark on my blogpost. Photography on the street can be felt daunting and confronting. Not so much with the photographed stranger, but more with yourself. In a way it feels like leaving your comfort zone. I have no regret doing so, and maybe good luck on your part and effort too. I hope you will post it.
In the meantime I would like to blogroll your excellent blog. Do you agree?
Thank you Wouter, that would be fine and I shall link to your fantastic photographs