Spring in Old St Andrew's Churchyard

I often walk through Old St Andrew's Churchyard, Kingsbury, on one of my government authorised exercise routes.  I experience a  heightened awareness that nature is carrying on in its bustling way in blissful ignorance of the crisis hitting human beings. Kingsbury has been here before when the Black Death wiped out the original settlement - nature carried on then, too. 

A time to reflect.

These pictures were taken on a sunny afternoon recently when the trees were full of birdsong and the daily coronavirus death toll in hospital was nearing a thousand.

Brent Council to take over maintenance of historic Old St Andrew's Churchyard

The churchyard at Old St Andrew's Church in Kingsbury has been cleared of vegetation, including brambles and elder, which had covered and concealed many of the graves for years. Apart from revealing many fascinating headstones it also reveals considerable damage to graves including fallen headstones, subsidence of graves and gaping holes in some vaults.

Old St Andrew's is Brent's only Grade 1 listed building and the oldest building in the borough dating from before 1100.  The graves appear more recent but are hard to date because inscriptions on the oldest headstones have been worn away.

According to the incumbent, Father Jason Rendell, the last burial in the churchyard was in 2003.

The churchyard includes many fine yew trees and is at its best in the Spring when snowdrops, violets and bluebells can be found.  It is amazingly peaceful for a site surrounded by suburban  development and where yesterday the roars from Wembley Stadium could be heard.

A proposal to close the churchyard for future burials has been tabled with the closing date for comments tomorrow. Parishioners who have reserved their places will be unaffected by the closure. (Details below)

Once the churchyard is closed, a process that may take a year, Brent Council will take over the maintenance. An electronic survey of the graves  is to be undertaken which will record the position, condition and inscription of each grave. There will also be a tree survey and self-seeded trees will be removed opening up the churchyard to more light.

The churchyard is overcrowded and there was a proposal in the 1930s to open a lawn cemetery nearby on ground now occupied by the Birchen Grove allotments, Welsh Environmental Study Centre and the Garden Centre. As far as I can ascertain that site is still consecrated ground. The chapel for the proposed cemetery still stands and houses Energy Solutions.

I sometimes visit the churchyard with primary classes and it is interesting how they overcome initial fear  to become fascinated by the social history recorded by the graves including infant mortality, references to the two world wars and the verses on many of the graves. Those children whose first language is not English can be confused.  'Is there really someone sleeping under there?' one asked me pointing to a huge stone slab.  There follows a lesson about euphemisms and an eager search for examples.

Influenced by the peace and the surroundings children often initiate profound discussions about death and religion. Some children who are refugees from conflict open up about their experience and their family losses.

The churchyard closure notice:

Representations should be sent to Coroners and Burials Team, Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, London SW1H 9AJ quoting Reference OPR/075/333

Beauty and squalor side by side in Kingsbury

There is a public right of way from St Andrews Road in Kingsbury to the historical and Grade 1 listed Old St Andrews Church which is surrounded by a fascinating graveyard. Attempts to get Brent Council to keep the footpath free of litter and fly-tipping have not been successful. It is a shame that the English country churchyard heritage of Old St Andrews cannot be better cared for.

Beautiful Brent this morning

After yesterday's not very pleasant picture from Cricklewood I thought readers could rest their eyes on something more beautiful

Snowdrops on grave at Old St Andrew's Churchyard Kingsbury, this morning

Hazel catkins, Fryent Country Park, this morning

How many kinds of litter are strewn, in an English country churchyard?

Old St Andrews Church in Kingsbury is Brent's older building. The present building is probably 12th century but it is believed a church has existed here since Saxon times. In addition Roman remains have been found in the church's fabric indicating an even earlier settlement.

The grave's in the churchyard go back centuries and vegetation is kept in check by Community Payback workers. In Spring there are snowdrops, violets, bluebells and wild strawberries amongst the graves.

The old Church was redundant but has recently been rented out to a Romanian congregation who each Sunday overflow out into the churchyard, bringing life back into the ancient building.

Sad then it is to see that alfresco drinkers have strewn the churchyard with beer cans and other litter with carrier bags of litter dumped along the alley way/footpath leading to the church. When I last enquired about this being regularly cleared, Brent Council told me it was unadopted and therefore the street sweepers could only sweep it if they had some spare time. After the cuts they clearly don't have time, even more so in the season of leaf fall,  so it is currently an eye sore.

 

The footpath

Behind St Andrew's Nursery