Back to a graveyard

I helped John find his way to a fencing supply place today (being better at navigation than he is) and as a thank you he stopped briefly so that we could pay a quick return visit to Carnwath Graveyard. You can find a lot more history and description in my previous blog post about our earlier visit.

Today we just wandered and idly looked at a variety of gravestones, both old and new. This one took John's attention due to the fact that the text has been wiped from the stone by the wind and weather

 while I was impressed by the elaborate decoration on top.

Sadly this historic graveyard and St. Mary's Aisle are in a very sad state of repair. It might look great to have vegetation growing out of the leaded windows but it does the building no good at all and if you look closely you can see that the middle top of the window seems to have vanished all together. Maintenance is being done by Lanarkshire Council as the grass had only just been mowed but that seems to be about it. Many of the grave monuments are in a very perilous state and could come down at any moment.

And some of them already have. The above, lavishly carved, stone erected in memory of a 4 months old has lost it's top which is now positioned in front. A very elaborate urn indeed and it's good to see that at least it's still there to be seen and admired.

 As is the hand holding the scroll of life where, so the Bible has it, all our names are inscribed.

All that decay makes this graveyard a wonderfully romantic and atmospheric place to linger in but I for one would be a lot happier if I could see some signs that this historic place was being preserved for the future. It would be truly tragic if it was lost to those who come after us.

On the way out it was John who spotted the cockerel who featured on the weather vane. Sadly I only had my point and shoot rather than my superzoom camera with me and this is as close as I could get. It was painted beautifully and we will have to come back (not that that is a punishment!) so that I can capture it even closer!