This week for my 101st post I am going back to what the blog began as, one about graves. Taphophilia is something I find interesting in that I visit a lot of churchyards and lately I had the chance to visit Old Reading Cemetery at Cemetery Junction. The cemetery sits between two roads, the London road and the Wokingham road and covers 11. 5 acres.The place opened in 1843 and seemed to closed for burials in 1970 though some burials still take plce of families who own plots there.. It was aplace that was on my list for a while. There are over 18000 graves on the site and 205 war graves of which I took photos of around 100 I came across.
One of the wargraves with the gatehouse in the background
A lot of the place gets covered in undergrowth, no wonder Muntjac Deer live in the place
Graves of all types
Most in good condition
Some being covered in ivy
Others stand on their own
Some broken
This one stood out to me
The angels either side looks impressive
Nearby this grave was covered in ivy which had died, no doubt it looked like tree when alive
The cross may well have looked like this memorial on the left. On noticing this unusual cylindrical memorial I turned and was looking at a Muntjac before I could take a photo he decided to leave
Couple of Celtic crosses
Tomb half hidden in the undergrowth
Fallen Angel
Kneeling figure
A line of tombs, possibly one family
couple of memorial with dead iivy coverings
Angel on the cross with a broken arm
Bernard Laurence Hiett one of the more famous memorials in the cemetery, mind you it is dwarfed by the memorial to the left of it
More of the lost cemetery being slowly uncovered
Couple more angles
The cemetery is a nice place to walk around if in a difficult area now
Urn becoming lost in the grass
Roll of honor at the War Grave site
The Cross of Victory
10 comments:
looks so peaceful, such history too ... what a neat trip. ( :
Bill,
Once again you have found a wonderful cemetery. It is like walking through an art museum. Tom The Backroads Traveller
Fantastic, and I can't believe that I have just come home from Wokingham/Reading. Next time we shall visit, it looks wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing.
Beautiful cementary and so old
I love old cemeteries and this one is a beauty!
Good tour - as usual, Bill. What is it that's so fascinating about looking round old cemeteries?? I'm sure it's something to do with a sense of our own mortality and a realisation of how many stories lie behind the stones and brief words. Loved the shot of the cross with the dead ivy on it - something arresting about it.
Love the Hiett monument, it's great to find such unique and individual memorials such as these, if I only find just one of them on a cemetery stroll, I'm a very happy bunny indeed......
How inspiring! I like visiting cemeteries. Your ancient ones, in the UK, seem amazing. Our local one was from 1816 or so. Not so old!
(ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!
Well this one was not that old, I've been to a lot older churchyards. Sounds like your local on eis older.
Fascinating places cemeteries.. I'm always intrigued to see the choices people make for their dear departed. You have a little of everything here Bill, from the grand to the very simple and everything in-between!
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