CallMeAlan.uk
Taphophilia Photograph Albums
I am very proud to present herewith my albums of taphophilia related photography. Please enjoy and, should you have any questions or comments, I'd be delighted to hear from you
at
alan {at} callmealan.uk
Churches first, cemeteries further down the page.
Part One: Churches:
Sparsholt, Oxfordshire
Church of the Holy Rood
This church is one of several so-called Ridgeway churches in the vicinity of the nearest town, Wantage. The Oxfordshire Ridgeway churches are at:
Sparsholt, Childrey, Kingston Lisle, Letcombe Regis, Letcombe Bassett, West Challow
You'll find photographs of those which are highlighted like this in these albums.
Due, presumably, to financial restraints begetting perhaps a shortage of vicars, these churches take it more or less in turn to offer Sunday morning and other times of services. See Sparsholt in Google Maps
Church of the Holy Rood
This church is one of several so-called Ridgeway churches in the vicinity of the nearest town, Wantage. The Oxfordshire Ridgeway churches are at:
Sparsholt, Childrey, Kingston Lisle, Letcombe Regis, Letcombe Bassett, West Challow
You'll find photographs of those which are highlighted like this in these albums.
Due, presumably, to financial restraints begetting perhaps a shortage of vicars, these churches take it more or less in turn to offer Sunday morning and other times of services. See Sparsholt in Google Maps
Childrey, Oxfordshire
St Mary's Church
One of the Oxfordshire Ridgeway churches, Childrey lies no distance at all from Sparsholt, above See Childrey in Google Maps
St Mary's Church
One of the Oxfordshire Ridgeway churches, Childrey lies no distance at all from Sparsholt, above See Childrey in Google Maps
Letcombe Bassett, Oxfordshire
St Michael and All Angels Church
Another one of the Oxfordshire Ridgeway churches, Letcombe Bassett lies quite close to Sparsholt and Childrey, above See Letcombe Bassett in Google Maps
St Michael and All Angels Church
Another one of the Oxfordshire Ridgeway churches, Letcombe Bassett lies quite close to Sparsholt and Childrey, above See Letcombe Bassett in Google Maps
Newbury, Berkshire
St Mary's Church, Shaw
Just down the road and around two corners from Newbury's Shaw Cemetery you'll find St Mary's, Shaw Church. It's a fairly sizeable church with a neat and tidy graveyard offering a handful of interesting sights. Quite a few of these pictures seemed to lend themselves to a spot of vignetting, which you may spot. See Newbury in Google Maps
St Mary's Church, Shaw
Just down the road and around two corners from Newbury's Shaw Cemetery you'll find St Mary's, Shaw Church. It's a fairly sizeable church with a neat and tidy graveyard offering a handful of interesting sights. Quite a few of these pictures seemed to lend themselves to a spot of vignetting, which you may spot. See Newbury in Google Maps
Hermitage, Berkshire
Holy Trinity Church
This odd little church has a graveyard which offers delamination and rusty crosses. See Hermitage in Google Maps
Holy Trinity Church
This odd little church has a graveyard which offers delamination and rusty crosses. See Hermitage in Google Maps
Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire
St Mary the Virgin Church
This quite large church still has spiked fences (unusual nowadays) plus the most stunningly unique family tomb : the rust pyramid! See Hampstead Norreys in Google Maps
St Mary the Virgin Church
This quite large church still has spiked fences (unusual nowadays) plus the most stunningly unique family tomb : the rust pyramid! See Hampstead Norreys in Google Maps
Brimpton, Berkshire
St Peter's Church
Just off the main A4 road linking Newbury and Reading you'll find the little village of Brimpton. Its church has its own little road, and there's a few interesting sights to be seen and appreciated. See Brimpton in Google Maps
St Peter's Church
Just off the main A4 road linking Newbury and Reading you'll find the little village of Brimpton. Its church has its own little road, and there's a few interesting sights to be seen and appreciated. See Brimpton in Google Maps
Woolhampton, Berkshire
St Peter's Church
Another St Peter's is found on the opposite side of the A4, in the sprawling big village of Woolhampton. The graveyard here is one of my favourites, even though the front of it is dominated by the most extravagant and extraordinary pink monstrosity of a chest tomb. But there's also what must surely be a completely unique grave marker, the likes of which I've seen nowhere else. Have a look. See Woolhampton in Google Maps
St Peter's Church
Another St Peter's is found on the opposite side of the A4, in the sprawling big village of Woolhampton. The graveyard here is one of my favourites, even though the front of it is dominated by the most extravagant and extraordinary pink monstrosity of a chest tomb. But there's also what must surely be a completely unique grave marker, the likes of which I've seen nowhere else. Have a look. See Woolhampton in Google Maps
Aldworth, Berkshire
St Mary's Church
In a little village called Aldworth, neatly situated just off the main road, lies lovely St Mary's church. Its graveyard contains some interesting sights, including some chest tombs, nice rusty fences and some really quite old graves - the inscriptions on which are quite unreadable - and a semi-subterranean shed. The church dates back to the 1200's, though, like pretty well all such old churches, no graves of such advanced age are evident. There's the grave of a man called Quiet, surely almost unique.
Of great note also in the churchyard is the Aldworth Yew, a tree which could be anywhere betwen 1,000 and 2,000 years old. Clearly, at such an age, it's seen the ravages of time, but has survived lightning strikes and at least one collapse. But it's nevertheless still alive and sort of thriving, though as you'll see, it needs a bit of help and support. See Aldworth in Google Maps
St Mary's Church
In a little village called Aldworth, neatly situated just off the main road, lies lovely St Mary's church. Its graveyard contains some interesting sights, including some chest tombs, nice rusty fences and some really quite old graves - the inscriptions on which are quite unreadable - and a semi-subterranean shed. The church dates back to the 1200's, though, like pretty well all such old churches, no graves of such advanced age are evident. There's the grave of a man called Quiet, surely almost unique.
Of great note also in the churchyard is the Aldworth Yew, a tree which could be anywhere betwen 1,000 and 2,000 years old. Clearly, at such an age, it's seen the ravages of time, but has survived lightning strikes and at least one collapse. But it's nevertheless still alive and sort of thriving, though as you'll see, it needs a bit of help and support. See Aldworth in Google Maps
Combe, Berkshire
St Swithun's Church
This unusually named church lies in the tiny hamlet of Combe. Combe gives its name to Combe Gibbet, which is near to the highest point in the county - against the village of Combe which could almost be viewed as the lowest point in the county! You'd be hard-pressed to find Combe if you're unlucky, and then even harder-pressed to find this church. It's quite unusual, for such a small graveyard, to see so many big chest tombs, all of which are aging and weathering very nicely. See Combe in Google Maps
St Swithun's Church
This unusually named church lies in the tiny hamlet of Combe. Combe gives its name to Combe Gibbet, which is near to the highest point in the county - against the village of Combe which could almost be viewed as the lowest point in the county! You'd be hard-pressed to find Combe if you're unlucky, and then even harder-pressed to find this church. It's quite unusual, for such a small graveyard, to see so many big chest tombs, all of which are aging and weathering very nicely. See Combe in Google Maps
Goosey, Oxfordshire
All Saints
This little church, in an odd spacious village, is of little real account. The church has been painted white - always an error in my view - and there's little of real interest in the graveyard, so I include its album merely for the record, not out of any particular interest it may hold. There is some interesting history though - click through to see. See Goosey in Google Maps
All Saints
This little church, in an odd spacious village, is of little real account. The church has been painted white - always an error in my view - and there's little of real interest in the graveyard, so I include its album merely for the record, not out of any particular interest it may hold. There is some interesting history though - click through to see. See Goosey in Google Maps
Stanford in the Vale, Oxfordshire
St Denys
This is a fairly large church with graves situated all around it, of varying ages. As always, I don't depict very recent graves in my photography. There are some very nice looking old gravestones, together with a very few chest tombs. I could have taken more pictures, but this was a bitterly cold - though brightly sunny - and breezy day, and I simply couldn't wait to return to my car and its efficient heater! See Stanford in the Vale in Google Maps
St Denys
This is a fairly large church with graves situated all around it, of varying ages. As always, I don't depict very recent graves in my photography. There are some very nice looking old gravestones, together with a very few chest tombs. I could have taken more pictures, but this was a bitterly cold - though brightly sunny - and breezy day, and I simply couldn't wait to return to my car and its efficient heater! See Stanford in the Vale in Google Maps
Farnborough (Berkshire)
All Saints
No, this isn't the Farnborough in Hampshire, home of British aerospace, the well-known airshow and the aerodrome. No, this is the tiny village just off the main road between Newbury and Wantage, with its hard to find little church (took me two passes through the village to find it!) See Farnborough in Google Maps
All Saints
No, this isn't the Farnborough in Hampshire, home of British aerospace, the well-known airshow and the aerodrome. No, this is the tiny village just off the main road between Newbury and Wantage, with its hard to find little church (took me two passes through the village to find it!) See Farnborough in Google Maps
Litchfield, Hampshire
St James the Less
Litchfield is a tiny place just off the main road between Newbury and Southampton. There's nothing particularly noteable about the graveyard or its graves, but on the day of my visit I was intrigued to note the striped tape around various parts of the graveyard. See Litchfield in Google Maps
St James the Less
Litchfield is a tiny place just off the main road between Newbury and Southampton. There's nothing particularly noteable about the graveyard or its graves, but on the day of my visit I was intrigued to note the striped tape around various parts of the graveyard. See Litchfield in Google Maps
Bullington, Hampshire
St Michael and All Angels
Bullington, or, more correctly, Upper and Lower Bullington, which together seem to be a single village, lies off the main Newbury to Southampton road, down various little roads around some tight bends. The church itself lies at the end of a narrow lane and appears to boast a single parking space!
It's a nice little graveyard, with reasonably ordinary graves, but two things to mention: one is a very unusual and extraordinary grave marker, which I photographed front and back, but the second and most striking thing you'll spot if you visit are the amazing trees lining the pathway from gate to church. See Bullington in Google Maps
St Michael and All Angels
Bullington, or, more correctly, Upper and Lower Bullington, which together seem to be a single village, lies off the main Newbury to Southampton road, down various little roads around some tight bends. The church itself lies at the end of a narrow lane and appears to boast a single parking space!
It's a nice little graveyard, with reasonably ordinary graves, but two things to mention: one is a very unusual and extraordinary grave marker, which I photographed front and back, but the second and most striking thing you'll spot if you visit are the amazing trees lining the pathway from gate to church. See Bullington in Google Maps
Part Two: Cemeteries:
Hungerford, Berkshire
Hungerford Cemetery
Hungerford lies about 8 miles to the west of Newbury. You may have heard of Hungerford - it was the scene of a series of random shootings on 19 August 1987, when Michael Robert Ryan, an unemployed antique dealer and handyman, fatally shot 16 people including a police officer, before taking his own life. A nice little cemetery, visited on one of those impossibly bright and deeply shadowy mid-winter days. See Hungerford in Google Maps
Hungerford Cemetery
Hungerford lies about 8 miles to the west of Newbury. You may have heard of Hungerford - it was the scene of a series of random shootings on 19 August 1987, when Michael Robert Ryan, an unemployed antique dealer and handyman, fatally shot 16 people including a police officer, before taking his own life. A nice little cemetery, visited on one of those impossibly bright and deeply shadowy mid-winter days. See Hungerford in Google Maps
Newbury, Berkshire
Newtown Road Cemetery
This is the older original cemetery of the two to be found in bustling little Newbury. The other is Shaw Cemetery, below See Newbury in Google Maps
Newtown Road Cemetery
This is the older original cemetery of the two to be found in bustling little Newbury. The other is Shaw Cemetery, below See Newbury in Google Maps
Newbury, Berkshire
Shaw Cemetery
This is the newer cemetery of the two to be found in bustling little Newbury. Less attractive than Newtown Road, it nevertheless offers some worthwhile viewings. See Newbury in Google Maps
Shaw Cemetery
This is the newer cemetery of the two to be found in bustling little Newbury. Less attractive than Newtown Road, it nevertheless offers some worthwhile viewings. See Newbury in Google Maps
Thatcham, Berkshire
Thatcham Cemetery
Minutes along the road from Newbury there lies Thatcham. Once a tiny village, now virtually a town in its own right, though there's no gap between the two towns. But it has its own tiny cemetery, interestubg fir its cast iron grave markers and the obvious pride which has gone into maintining its topiary. See Thatcham in Google Maps
Thatcham Cemetery
Minutes along the road from Newbury there lies Thatcham. Once a tiny village, now virtually a town in its own right, though there's no gap between the two towns. But it has its own tiny cemetery, interestubg fir its cast iron grave markers and the obvious pride which has gone into maintining its topiary. See Thatcham in Google Maps
Bristol
Arnos Vale Cemetery, Part one
Arnos Vale Cemetery, Part two
The delightful Arnos Vale Cemetery is situated near Bristol. Easy to find via maps or satnav, it's not far from the centre of Bristol, and caters to and welcomes visitors, with its own parking within the cemetery, a cafe and a gift shop. It even caters to weddings, held in one of two buildings on the site. It's set in 45 acres and was opened in 1837. Well worth a visit to see graves of all conceivable types. Quite a few pictures, so I've split the album into two parts. See Arnos Vale in Google Maps
Arnos Vale Cemetery, Part one
Arnos Vale Cemetery, Part two
The delightful Arnos Vale Cemetery is situated near Bristol. Easy to find via maps or satnav, it's not far from the centre of Bristol, and caters to and welcomes visitors, with its own parking within the cemetery, a cafe and a gift shop. It even caters to weddings, held in one of two buildings on the site. It's set in 45 acres and was opened in 1837. Well worth a visit to see graves of all conceivable types. Quite a few pictures, so I've split the album into two parts. See Arnos Vale in Google Maps
The City of London
Bunhill Fields Burial Grounds
These photographs were taken in 2010 with a Canon EOS300D, but this is such a wonderful place that I'm unlikely to revisit any time soon, so I thought I'd add it here as a special album. I no longer have the original RAW photographs, and these few pics are all that remain of my visit there.
First and most important thing to note: burial grounds, not cemetery.
What's the difference? Cemeteries are consecrated. Because Bunhill Fields was originally designated for dissenters and non-conformists, it was never consecrated, and is thus called a burial ground. Around 4 acres, it's the last resting place for an estimated 120,000 bodies, including three of Britain's most eminent nonconformists. It's no longer in use for new interments, and hasn't been for a long time.
It's right in the centre of the City of London, and is the only remaining burial ground in the capital. See Bunhill Fields in Google Maps
Bunhill Fields Burial Grounds
These photographs were taken in 2010 with a Canon EOS300D, but this is such a wonderful place that I'm unlikely to revisit any time soon, so I thought I'd add it here as a special album. I no longer have the original RAW photographs, and these few pics are all that remain of my visit there.
First and most important thing to note: burial grounds, not cemetery.
What's the difference? Cemeteries are consecrated. Because Bunhill Fields was originally designated for dissenters and non-conformists, it was never consecrated, and is thus called a burial ground. Around 4 acres, it's the last resting place for an estimated 120,000 bodies, including three of Britain's most eminent nonconformists. It's no longer in use for new interments, and hasn't been for a long time.
It's right in the centre of the City of London, and is the only remaining burial ground in the capital. See Bunhill Fields in Google Maps
Could be anywhere
All the rest
All the odds and ends. Miscellaneous, often interesting, pictures from graveyards and cemeteries which don't warrant their own albums
All the rest
All the odds and ends. Miscellaneous, often interesting, pictures from graveyards and cemeteries which don't warrant their own albums