applied to Public Cemeteries. 477 



fence. But the wretched state of the churchyards has been, perhaps, suffi- 

 ciently dwelt on both in this and in other publications, and we shall therefore 

 confine ourselves to pointing out the causes of their present state separately, 

 and suggesting the modes by which these causes may be removed. 



Want of Order. — The cause of this evil in churchyards is, that they have 

 not been originally laid out on any regular or systematic plan. Not only is 

 there no gravel or paved walk round the churchyard in many cases, but in 

 some there is nothing more than a footpath from the yard-gate to the door of 

 the church. In many churchyards it is too late to remedy this evil in an 

 effectual manner, but we have never seen one in which it might not be 

 removed to a considerable extent, without that which at first sight seems 

 absolutely necessary, levelling the turf mounds over the graves. This is to 

 be avoided by bringing in soil sufficient to raise the space between the grave 

 mounds to a- level or even surface, varying the direction of the walk, and 

 expanding, contracting, branching, divaricating, and inosculating it, so as never 

 to disturb a gravestone or any description of stone monument. The idea of 

 such a walk is given in the sketch Jig. 102., in which it is indicated by the 

 lines a a ; and the effect, after the trees have been planted, is shown in 

 fig. 103., p. 479. In this figure is also exhibited an addition made to the 

 old ground, laid out in a regular manner. In the interior of the ground, 

 grass paths ought to be formed to the graves to which there is not 

 direct access from the gravel walks, to enable spectators to view the 

 tombs without the appearance of treading on graves. The walk would 

 seldom require to be raised more than 18 in., and it ought to have a 

 grass margin on each side of the same height as the gravel, of at least 2 ft. 

 in width. Where a flat gravestone was to be crossed over, it might be raised 

 up to the proper level ; some other descriptions of stone might be sunk; and, 

 in cases of great difficulty, a gravestone might be crossed by a bridge 

 composed of a flag-stone of the width of the walk, supported on two piers ; 

 but such would be of rare occurrence. When they did happen, advantage 

 might be taken of the circumstance to make a raised seat, which would give a 

 bird's-eye view of part of the churchyard ; or a handsome open structure 

 might be erected in harmony with the scene, and suitable for taking shelter in, 

 or for strangers to witness the performance of a funeral. We never saw a 

 case where abridge would be necessary; but we suppose one, in order to 

 show the resources of this mode of improvement, and, impossible, to convince 

 our readers that there is not a churchyard in the country that might not 

 be surrounded with a gravel walk, leaving a border between it and the wall ; 

 provided the clergyman and the other parties whose duty it is were to set 

 earnestly about it. Cross green paths might be formed 2 or 3 feet in width, 

 and they may be even more irregular than the surrounding gravel paths. 



Another source of disorder and also of waste ground in churchyards is, that 

 no systematic plan has been laid down and followed in allotting the graves. 

 The graves are put down at random, leaving spaces between them either too 

 narrow for graves, or of shapes so irregular that they cannot be filled up, so 

 that in many churchyards a large proportion of the ground is thus rendered 

 useless. It most frequently happens that the places are chosen by the de- 

 ceased during their lifetime, or by their friends afterwards ; and, some persons 

 having partialities for particular parts of the ground, especially high and dry 

 parts, the graves are crowded together in such parts, while in others there are 

 comparatively few. Many persons have an objection to being buried on the 

 north side of a church, probably from the comparative dampness and gloom- 

 iness of that side as compared with the south side. Hence we often see the 

 south side of a churchyard crowded, while the north side is comparatively 

 without graves. The radical cause of this evil is the placing of the church in 

 the direction of east and west, in consequence of which a considerable portion 

 of the churchyard is in shade during the whole of the winter, and the greater 

 portion of every day throughout the year, whereas, had the church been placed 

 in the direction of S. W. and N. E., or of N. W. and S. E., the sun would 



3d Sen— 1843. IX. i i 



