Botley Cemetery

I visited this cemetery a number of years ago when I was having my car serviced. On my way home from work I had passed it many times and always wondered what the place was like. This is one of four cemetery's which burials still take place, so far I have been to three of them. There also are another couple no longer in use like Osney Cemetery near Oxford Station

The entrance to Botley Cemetery

After going past the gatehouse you are soon into the cemetery 

and not far away is the chapel which is used for services, the building on the left was most likely the mortuary when the site first opened, I think the gardeners use it now

View of the whole chapel

Did not realise I had a photo of a black traffic cone

Looking along a line of trees showing parts of the cemetery which are unused

This is the Sands memorial for this cemetery, the others I visited have them as well

I might add it stands near and are where there are a lot of Children's graves

The cemetery on the whole

does not have that many large impressive Memorials              

like other cemetery's I have been to
There are mostly headstones crosses and smaller memorials

Not long after taking a photo of the coved cross I visited the Commonwealth War Graves

 

I had see  it from the A34 when we drove past many times

But I was not prepared  for so many graves, I might add it was the first large War Grave Cemetery I had visited

I found it very hard to comprehend at first

The cross of Victory and memorial wall with so many wreaths

Young men from different part of the commonwealth are buried here

This arbour holds the list of men and women buried at the cemetery 

They are not only from the commonwealth, the graves above were our enemy but given the same honour of laying alongside those they fought

different countrymen laying side by side together in death

I left felling very humble and privileged to have spend a few moments walking round the cemetery with then. RIP

I walked back through the rest of the cemetery looking at the odd grave with the headstone laid down

and angel watching over the dead

and with a final look left thinking I may well pop back again someday for another look around.

Have a peaceful Weekend

Norcot Road Cemetery Reading

I must admit to have never knowing about this place till I came across it being discussed on a Forum. I felt I needed to go along and record what was left. All I can find out about the place is that on the 1900 OS maps it shows Burial Ground, if there was a chapel there it is long gone being demolished at some time all that is left is the graves you see in this blog.

The entrance the cemetery, there are brick footings ether side which signify to me the place had a Lychgate at some time. I would think there would have been a fence or hedge round the outside and gates in front of me, the path is shown on the 1900 map

One side of the gate

Headstones over to one side of the entrance, a little more overgrown

One thing the cemetery did have was Commonwealth War Graves so I took photos of all the ones there . Private W.King Royal Tank Corps 3rd November 1918 Age39

Sargent S T Lewis Royal Berkshire Regiment 7th October 1917 Age 41 and Boy O S Stevens Royal Berkshire Regiment 24th January 1918 age17.

Corporal J M Lawes Royal Berkshire Regiment 5th April 1918 age 26

Lance Cpl W Woolgar Royal Berkshire Regiment 7th March 1918 Age21 & P Huggins Royal Artillery 11th March 1944 age22

QMR Serjt D Dickie Royal Horse Artillery 7th October 1915 Age54

C S Day Able Seaman HMS Vivid 4th February 1920 & Private V M Field  Royal Army Medical Corps 22nd February 1916

Sapper B Reeves Royal Engineers 14th October 1920 & Private A J Chapman Royal Berkshire Regiment 5th January 1915 age29

Over to the back of the cemetery

Looking down the churchyard to Norcot road

The overgrown area at the back of the site where there may have been a groundsman's hut

The headstones in the cemetery

Most of the headstones still stand though some crosses have been removed off the graves

Some as you can see have become covered in ivy

One of the remaining crosses in the cemetery

Most of the cemetery you see here is well kept but only looks like it is cut a few times a year

Before I left I noticed on grave that looked quite new and well kept which meant the cemetery was still in use. At one time the place would have been cared for now it gets a cursory grass cut a few times a year, I think the memory of the people buried here deserve better and not left forgotten

Have a peaceful weekend