Kirkdale cemetery headstones

[JohnnyO]

I was looking around Kirkdale cemetery yesterday, and could not believe the number of headstones that are on the ground. By the looks of it, most of it due to vandalism. The upkeep of the cemetery is good, with lots of staff tending the grass etc., but such a shame to see all the stones lying flat.

[Bertieone]

It could be, like many cemeteries, upright unsafe headstones are laid flat. Appears to be council policy in many I have visited over the years.

[JohnnyO]

Maybe so Bert, and I can understand that for a lot of older ones. An awful lot of the ones I saw were relatively modern, and I would have thought (and hoped) that they would have been erected securely.

[MaryA]

I've seen more recent ones on bit of an angle in other cemeteries, I wonder if it's a sign of shoddy workmanship or perhaps sinking ground? But they must be laid flat according to H&S Regs, I only wish they would ensure that the laying flat was only a temporary measure and also that they were face upward.

[Bertieone]

I know vandalism is a problem in cemeteries and the reintroduction of firing squads to deal with it I feel would have little opposition.

I know between 1990 and 2002 a law/rule was introduced to have ground anchors fitted to all new or refitted headstones.

My mothers headstone, 1990 didn't have them, to have my fathers name added to it in 2002, we had to agree to ground anchors being fitted and pay the added cost.

Cemetery staff will lay down headstones modern or otherwise if they become unsafe, face up with care.

It's normally the fault of ground movement, though I can't remember the exact cost of the added anchors, it wasn't cheap, the council would never pay for it to be carried out.

[Blue70]

We had a gravestone laid flat at Allerton Cemetery. We were not informed we discovered it when an uncle visited and couldn't find it. We paid to get it put back up with a concrete base added to secure it.


Blue

[daggers]

It is not just council cemeteries. My mother was commemorated on a kerb stone at a family grave in a large local churchyard. When the church decided to make it easier for mowing, all kerbs were removed, inscribed or not. I was told they were buried elsewhere in the grounds and that a notice had been placed in the Echo. Ha!
D