The churchyard is famous for its graves on a steep hill where the church lies in the cup of the surrounding paths in a sub-tropical garden with a tidal pool at the bottom. The sea coming and going and the exotic planting make the spot simultaneously unearthly but eccentrically English.
The high tide coincided with sunrise, so I was there to watch the church emerge from darkness. Because the natural form of the bay is a deep amphitheatre, the light produces extraordinary effects such as the church tower not having a top but carrying on up to heaven.
Looking around the graves there were several elegant War Grave headstones, particularly fine black ones which take a sharp cut and don't easily wear away. It was pleasing to find that volunteers have been photographing them and indexing them.
There are several searches one can do. This one was for war graves in St Just in Roseland.
Clicking on any of the returned names goes to a photograph of the individual gravestone with details which are known about the person.
6 comments:
Thanks very much for that War Graves Commission link.
You are welcome.
Well said WOAR ..
The War Graves Commission do a fantastic job and deserve all the support which we can give them ..
A great post. I'd love to visit that churchyard...as you say - a particularly English way of doing things, and also great to see volunteers keeping the memory alive.
There is nothing for the pacifist to admire in War Memorials. Whilst gratitude owed to those fallen in National conflicts is shared by all, it is marred by the ever attendant glorification of military. The compromise is to avoid them, remain silent in memory of both and wear no red.
Poppies grow and give no cause for rejoice.
I'm grateful to be able to be a pacifist.
Someone had to fight for that right.
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