Biggar Graveyard

We went our merry way to another graveyard today, this time in Biggar, Lanarkshire, approx. 16 miles down south from us. We were lucky as the sun was shining occasionally this morning and it was really quite warm. Hard to believe that for this evening snow has been forecast!

Biggar graveyard is huge, there is the original graveyard right by the church itself (which looks very much like a fortified castle rather than a church) which is still in service. Further on there is a large stretch filled with mainly Victorian stones and those from the start of the 20th Century and to the right there is the modern cemetary, still in use today. As a result the whole place is maintained beautifully which is becoming increasingly unusual. Even the gravestones that have fallen over seem to have been stabilized in position. It was too large to cover the entire graveyard in one visit so I have selected some of the oldest and most interesting stones to show here.

This is by far the most intricately carved stone in the graveyard and represents Adam and Eve. Eve (on the right) is naked while Adam has been adorned with a trailing loincloth. There is no apple in sight but instead in the trees directly above each of their heads is a skull, which is very unusual. It dates back to 1747. In fact Adam and Eve stones are quite rare although I have blipped one other one which is to be found in Lyne Churchyard here. That one was my blip that day and this one will become the blip du jour for today.

This very rudimentary skeleton probably represents Death himself. His legs are quite stilt like! The stone dates back to 1707 according to the inscription on the other side.

And this is another great gravestone with the message Tempus Volat (Time Flies) at the top, accompanied by a lovely winged soul as well as the crossbones, skull and hour-glass to remind us of our mortality. I love the decorated top of this stone and the rozettes at either side of it.