St James's Church, Newchapel (Winter, 2010)

An evocative scene, on one of the coldest winter days for several years, capturing the churchyard in a state of change.

A lot of building work is going on to one side of the church. The original burial ground has had a “layer” of earth removed and foundations laid, and now (2010) a metal structure is being erected. Perhaps this will be a Church Hall, or other community building.

It has been noted that during the construction process some of the large flat gravestones were stacked to one side, then moved to an upright position at the rear of the new building. It is not known what has happened to the graves which were beneath them, but it seems probable that in common with other situations where a graveyard is being reused, the remains will have been exhumed and transferred to a nearby cemetery.