LOCATION:
The site is located on Maidstone road in Chatham, Kent. The nearest station would be Chatham station, however, it is a bit of a walk. There are buses that pass by there however,
FIRST OPENED:
It was first opened in 1859.
FAMOUS RESIDENTS:
N/A
ALSO KNOWN AS:
N/A
SIZE & LAYOUT:
The site is of a rectangular shape. As to the actual size of it, I couldn't find out.
THE WALKABOUT:
I seem to have got myself into a bit of a bad habit lately. As I now live in a new town, I am finding it hard locating all the local graveyards (without having to go into London). Instead, I seem to be doing these guides on places that I just come across, which granted, is not always a bad thing, but I feel like I cannot fully give my time to the place like I would do had I planned to go there. Anyway, that said, I was on a trip and I went past this beautiful looking, and very big, graveyard that I had no idea was this close to where I live. What did I do? Pulled in to investigate it of course! On entering however, as my very bad luck would have it, there was a funeral taking place and it was quite a big one. I have never been one to show disrespect so I had to be extremely careful whilst walking around. The funeral plot was quite near the church so unfortunately I could not have a closer look at it.
When you enter, you will notice that it seems a lot bigger from the inside than it does from the outside. Strange I know, but if you look in on it, it just looks quite big, when you are inside however, it seems huge, almost like you are in another world. Despite the fact that it is smack bang next to a main road, and a busy one at that, you can barely hear it. Everyone knows how much I love my peace and quiet! There is a huge chapel straight in front of you with and arch way in the middle. The site apparently has a Jewish section with a synagogue. I will be honest, I couldn't find much evidence of one and the exterior of the chapel is hardly stereotypical Jewish. It could have been inside but I can't say for certain. One for you guys to investigate.
I honestly thought that a big place like this would be pretty packed out but a lot of it is actually quite sparse! Right in one of the far corners there is even a monument which is just standing there all on its own. One thing I did find out whilst walking around is that there had been a recent case of vandalism which utterly disgusts me. Some of the graves were so badly damaged, they had to take them away to get them repaired. People like that truly make me sick. Near the back is a patch of land which I believe they are turning into a nature site. It has a wooden fence around it and I believe that it is a memorial garden. It is stunning and it will only look better through time.
Despite the size, it is very well maintained which pleases me! The one thing that I love about it the most is the presence of trees. They look especially gorgeous at this time of year. There are even wild bushes of flowers which are actually looked after as apposed to people just cutting them away. My stay was cut short by the funeral procession. I felt quite bad about being there so decided to cut my trip short and leave. As beautiful as the place was, it was someone Else's day to shine.
ANY GHOSTS?:
Upon my arrival, like I mentioned before, there was a funeral going on. This right away, like it would most people, made me very sad and at the same time, quite spiritual. Again, I had not prepared myself for going there so I didn't expect anyone to be prepared for me! Most times I would put not catching something down to a bad day but today, I think it is more of a case of they were busy welcoming someone home....and I was happy enough with that.
FINAL (RESTING) WORD:
Aside from the awful incident which happened there, it really is a beautiful place and I would still suggest it to anyone. Those of you who know me well enough know that I do not promote disrespect to a resting place in any shape or form so if you decide to go there, treat it well! It is one of the biggest ones in Kent so make sure you truly take some time to really appreciate it.
"Respect those who are not physically here, you can’t see them but they can see you, and disrespect is something they don’t want to see"
RATING: 4/5 - Certainly one to go an see, it is guaranteed to be beautiful in any weather.
LINKS: N/A
LOCATION:
You can find the grounds on Reculver Lane, Reculver, Canterbury, Kent (this is the most popular address however, there seems to be quite a few different locations so if you do plan on going then just follow Google maps). The nearest train station would be Herne Bay, however, it would be much easier to reach it by car.
FIRST OPENED:
The present church ground was built in 1878.
FAMOUS RESIDENTS:
N/A
ALSO KNOWN AS:
N/A
SIZE & LAYOUT:
N/A
THE WALKABOUT:
This review has to be one of the most random ones that I have ever done. I had never heard of the place let alone had any intention to do a walkabout in it! We were actually on our way to Reculver Castle where my boyfriend was taking me for my birthday. On our way there, we drove down a small country lane. That was when I saw this gorgeous little churchyard. I made a decision then to visit it on our way back. It was a blazing hot day by the time we got back to it. The best thing about this place straight off was the peace and quiet. Based next to a country road and with acres of farmland on the other side, absolute bliss.
From the front entrance you will notice how sparse the site actually is. A lot of the plots actually appear quite new, whether this is because it has started to be fully used or not I do not know. The church stands right in the middle, the main attraction of the site with its bell tower and beautiful stone work. The newest part of the site, I think, is a little plot of war memorial plaques. All the same size and beautifully made. On the outside of the sight, behind a curved wall is even a larger memorial dedicated to those who died in the war. You can only see the writing from the other side however.
The older part seems a tad more extravagant. Many of the graves may be weathered but that does not take away from their beauty. Some of the even older graves are beginning to be hidden away by the shrubbery around it. The older parts are always my favourite, not only because they have more history but the graves themselves tend to have a tad more character than recent ones. What I love about this part was the presence of an old sun dial which has been made so it looks like it is sitting on top of an old church tower.
From what I could gather, the church is one of three parishes (a united benefice) with St Bartholomew in Herne Bay and The Holy Cross in Hoath. The church you can see now was built in 1878. The original was actually at Reculver castle, having been moved to another spot in 1810 then to the spot where it is now. It is safe to say that the church could have possibly had 3 graveyards! The oldest gravestone in this one dates as far back as the 17th century so who knows how old the other ones were. This is something that I would have liked to investigate further.
ANY GHOSTS?:
I already knew before entering the site that I wouldn't have much chance in catching anything. Even though things like these can happen spontaneously (which it has done in the past) I have a bit of a ritual in which I do. I go in and walk around slowly, almost tempting something to follow me. As I walk around I like to talk out loud (hence why I usually do these myself!). Because I never got to do my little routine I knew that there was very little chance that I would catch anything. I did get quite a strange feeling as I was walking around however. The only way I can describe it is, as peaceful as the place was, I felt like it was too good to be true. I cannot describe it anymore than that but I have to admit, it was a bit unsettling.
FINAL (RESTING) WORD:
I only wish that I had knew about this place sooner so that I could have planned a better walkabout and photography session. I had to be quite quick about it so I do not think I gave myself the time I needed as well as the time a place like this deserves. I have a feeling that this place has a lot more history and secrets that it is not letting us on to and I would like to try and find out exactly what they are. The biggest question being, why was it rebuilt so much considering there was no damage to the previous places...
"Respect those who are not physically here, you can’t see them but they can see you, and disrespect is something they don’t want to see"
RATING: 3/5 - Although it may be quite sparse, it in no way ruins its natural beauty.
LINKS: http://www.stmaryreculver.co.uk/index.html
