Grave Construction

[dawnsh]

How about asking the National Association of Memorial Masons?

http://www.namm.org.uk/

[Jool]

This is an abandoned Graveyard in South Wales UK. Chapel was knocked down in 1973 after a fire in the 60s

Where in South Wales is it?  My Spooner clan were from Monmouthshire, mainly Michaelstone y fedw and surrounding areas.

[a-l]

Is there a local cemetery friends group who could help ?

[pb3]

djunna

           My understanding is that this type of memorial is known as a Grave Slab or Grave Cover. There are several examples of this in our area - the North East of England (Derwent Valley) - and several different kinds. They are all typified by their size and mass - usually approximately 6 feet long by about 3-4 feet wide and 6 inches thick. They probably weigh in the region of at least a quarter of a ton.

           The example attached is a memorial to one of our local parish priests and is relatively recent, 1915. I think it completely fulfills the purpose of any good memorial in that it is decorative as well as being very informative. Another one locally was about the same size, in a different graveyard, and completely covered in thick moss, apart from one small area which had a couple of digits incised on the surface. These looked like the last two letters of a year date so I set to and cleared it all off. This revealed a full, and very clear, inscription, with no other decoration. For those purists who decry the removal of obscuring growths I can report that within 6 months the moss had completely re-established itself.

           I think it's possible that these covers may be used when the family decides that no further burials will be made in these plots and the slab/cover may be seen as a final seal.

            PatB.

[djunna]

Hello all thanks for the replies, Pat , these are similar as you say to yours, tho these ones are plain, very narrow and maybe 3-4 inches thick. i will check next saturday but they seem to have no writing or markings at all on them. Just a basic slab.

Alien Lady. Yes i have contributed to starting up a registered Group to look after the Graveyard, tho its Private Land, so who knows where it will end up.

Dawnsh, Its in Abersychan Monmouthshire.

Darren

[Guy Etchells]

They are grave slabs or ledger stones.
The original purpose was to protect the remains from grave robbers or body snatchers.

Ledgers may also cover a vault and provide an "easy" access to the vault for additional burials.
Cheers
Guy

[djunna]

Cheers  Guy and everyone who has helped, i think Grave Slab is more probable. Guy do you know if the slab would have originally been exposed, or covered over when laid ?

[Guy Etchells]

Exposed, there were different designs some designed to be buried flush with the ground level some "rebated" to sit a couple of inches above ground level.
They tended to be locked in place by the proximity of the headstone and footstone which required they be raised then slid sideways rather than simply pivoted off the grave.

Any memorial inscription, when the slab was used with a headstone & footstone, would normally be on the headstone, the footstone may also (but not always) contain an inscription of the intials and perhaps burial date of the first body to be buried.

Grave slabs or ledgers when used without headstones and footstones would often carry memorial inscriptions.
It is also interesting to note that grave slabs come in a huge variety of  shapes and indeed sizes.
Cheers
Guy