I found this churchyard by wandering around Rottingdean, in search of a cream tea in the sunshine.
St Margaret’s Church is just a few metres from the centre of town. From the distance it appears to be a small church on a little hill, but once I entered the churchyard, it was surprising to see how vaste this is. It was in fact extended in three occasions, in 1883, 1905 and 1920.
While the graves from the 19th century are traditionally crafted, usually headstones or crosses with biblical quotations for inscriptions, there are definetily some very interesting markers from the 1960s, which display an originality both in style and content of the inscriptions.
An example of such originality is the grave of the music hall entertainer Ellott, G. H. .
There are many other beautiful inscriptions, mostly from recent burials, such as the following by John Brookes (1987):
” I’ll not be back today…..friend!
For the winds call on the hill.
Keep my place, by the fire….friend.
Till the mists have had their fill.”
The graveyard is still open for burials.
Links
St Margaret’s Church online – the official website
