Guest Post - Greenbank Cemetery Bristol

Emily Davis from Invasion Of The Creeps writes about her visit to Greenbank Cemetery in Bristol.

"Greenbank Cemetery was the first large cemetery after Arnos Cemetery to be set up in Bristol in 1871. It was extended in 1880 and again in 1899. In the north eastern section of the cemetery are the memorials to the civilians who died during the Bristol Blitz. Greenbank cemetery also contains a military cemetery from British and Commonwealth servicemen as well as graves of a German Luftwaffe crew killed during the Blitz. The Commonwealth War Graves commission indicates that 178 First World War and 129 Second World War casualities are commemorated at Greenbank Cemetery."

"The pics were just taken on my little hand held digital one sunny afternoon about 4 years ago and I was looking for graves with interesting carvings more than details.  The central chapel, which I don't have any pics of is in a dreadful state of repair, and I know some of the graves have been moved over to Canford."

 

 

"It is a beautiful place. Very peaceful and well kept. There is a proper gate and gatehouse, and paths that lead of to the left and older parts of the cemetery, to the right and the newer grave, and a drive that leads straight ahead and up to the central abandonded chapel. On the way up this drive is an avenue of angels and the like on high memorial plinths. There are angels everywhere in the cemetery. A lot of the older families have elaborate tombs."

All photgraphs copyright of Emily Davis and reproduced with permission.


To read more from Emily, please visit her blog at Invasion Of The Creeps.

Wordless Wednesday

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Ann Green - 106 Years Young

Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphophile.


Monument to Ann Green, All Saints Churchyard, Bisham Berkshire.

"In Memory of Ann Green.  For many yeard the faithful housekepper at Temple House.  Who departed this life the 4th of February 1862 aged 106 years."

Ann Green was born in Ireland around 1756 which makes researching her ealry life very difficult.  She appears on the 1861 Bisham cenus aged 105 as a widow boaring with Thomas and Maragret Smith near Temple Lodge, Bisham Berkshire.  As I don't have a maiden name for Ann and I haven't been able to find her on the 1841 and 1851 census returns, my research has hit a brick wall.

Temple House, Bisham

Temple house was a large manor house built by Samuel Wyatt for the mill owner Thomas Williams in the late 18th century.  The Williams were a very important family in Bisham with many of the men entering into politics.  It seems that they were very fond of Ann, making sure she had a beautiful marker for her final resting place.


For more Taphophile Tragics, please click here.

Cemetery Sunday - Broken

Broken Cross - All Saints Churchyard

A selection of broken or damaged gravestones I have come across on my cemetery wanderings.

There are many factors that contribute, vandalism, weathering, poor maintenance and local authorities pushing over stones in the interests of health and safety.

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Cliveden House - Pet Cemetery, Taplow, Buckinghamshire

Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphophile.


The 'burials' date from 1874 - 1956 and contain mainly dogs and a few horses or ponies, unfortunately I can find no information on the history of the pet cemetery, or whether all the animals belonged to the same family, the Astors of Cliveden House.  It's in the Ilex Grove part of the grounds and sadly is not very well maintained or even sign posted.  We just happened across it.

There has been a house on the site at Cliveden, meaning - valley among cliffs, in Taplow Buckinghamshire since 1666.  The present house was built in 1851 and is a Grade I listed Italianate mansion.  In 1893 the estate was purchased by William Waldolf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor.  He became a virtual recluse after the death of his wife Mary Dahlgren Paul in 1894.  In 1906 Viscount Astor gave Cliveden and its ground to his son Waldorf on his marriage to Nancy Langhorne. The Astor family remained at Cliveden until 1969 when the house and grounds were leased by Stanford University.  The house is now owned by The National Trust and is a Luxuary Hotel.

It seems that most of the pet 'burials' took place during the time the Astor family resided at Cliveden.  It is such a shame that no more is known of this peaceful resting place for man and woman's best friends.

"Christoper, A favourite pony"

"Flossie"

"Missie"

"Chono"

"Laddie"

"Trixie"

"Baloo"

"Doushky"

"Dixie"

"Daphne"

"Midget"

"Blennie"

"Pugsy, dear pug"

"Tommy"

"Wallace"

"Snuff"

"Traffic Light"

There is another more famous pet cemetery in Hyde Park, London.  To read more about it, click here.

For more Taphophile Tragics, please click here.