This is something of an obscure subject perhaps but may be of interest to some and at least preserves in images some of our history that is gradually being lost. St. Mary’s churchyard once boasted a good proportion of graves surrounded by railings and surrounds of all shapes and designs from wire to ornate wrought iron. Not an unusual feature in graveyards throughout the country in Victorian times but Shoreham seems to have had more than its fair share. Some are battered and bent, others are still in relatively good condition but as recently as the 1990’s when these photos were taken more survived than are standing now. Erosion takes its toll and in these financially straitened times repair is often not an option. We may admire them, dislike them or just be indifferent to them but In another 100 years more of these railings are likely to disappear. The following images are offered without comment as a taste of how the churchyard once looked.

Roger Bateman, 

Shoreham, December 2010