I went
back to Old Cockpen Graveyard (now that I know where it is!) on the way home simply to obtain the blip for today. It was a very cold but at least sunny and bright day and the graveyard looked a lot more cheerful than during our previous visit. It's the most atmospheric of the old graveyards I've been too. And although it only has a few gravestones they are all very beautiful. The old church ruins too add to the peaceful scene. This is one of those places that make you feel calm and restful as soon as you enter the rusty and creaking gate. The graveyard has been restored using a grant from the European Community. It's good to know that not all the money given to that organization is completely wasted!
As you could see at the top and also
on my earlier post about this graveyard, the church is almost completely in ruins, although no less beautiful for that. But you can clearly see where separate areas used to be. This is a side aisle with a very impressive tablestone grave.
This is
my blip for today and is a detail of the table gravestone seen above. There is text on the stone but that is now virtually unreadable but according to Islay Donaldson's book Midlothian Gravestones it dates from sometime in the 18th Century and my own guess is that it is early 18th rather than later. By his attire (specially around his neck)you can tell that he is a clergyman and that is confirmed by the position of this table grave in what was once a aisle of the church. Not a place for the common man! He also has a Bible in his hand. I love his deeply impressive wig and the gigantic buttons on his outfit. On the whole he looks suitably grave and sober as befits one of his profession, a Scottish Presbyterian minister. Not exactly a bundle of laughs.
I went back to Old Cockpen Graveyard (now that I know where it is!) on the way home simply to obtain the blip for today. It was a very cold but at least sunny and bright day and the graveyard looked a lot more cheerful than during our previous visit. It's the most atmospheric of the old graveyards I've been too. And although it only has a few gravestones they are all very beautiful. The old church ruins too add to the peaceful scene. This is one of those places that make you feel calm and restful as soon as you enter the rusty and creaking gate. The graveyard has been restored using a grant from the European Community. It's good to know that not all the money given to that organization is completely wasted!
As you could see at the top and also on my earlier post about this graveyard, the church is almost completely in ruins, although no less beautiful for that. But you can clearly see where separate areas used to be. This is a side aisle with a very impressive tablestone grave.
This is my blip for today and is a detail of the table gravestone seen above. There is text on the stone but that is now virtually unreadable but according to Islay Donaldson's book Midlothian Gravestones it dates from sometime in the 18th Century and my own guess is that it is early 18th rather than later. By his attire (specially around his neck)you can tell that he is a clergyman and that is confirmed by the position of this table grave in what was once a aisle of the church. Not a place for the common man! He also has a Bible in his hand. I love his deeply impressive wig and the gigantic buttons on his outfit. On the whole he looks suitably grave and sober as befits one of his profession, a Scottish Presbyterian minister. Not exactly a bundle of laughs.
1 comment:
Wow, those ruins are very interesting, especially that gravestone!
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