marc glorieux Posted 12 May , 2005 Share Posted 12 May , 2005 Hi, Last week, visiting Cornwall, I saw on the lovely churchyard of St Just in Roseland (Falmouth) the graves of two soldiers WW1 ( Pte R Trevarton 17.05.1918 and Seaman J Mackenzie 23.08.1915) Its seems strange to me that both headstones (CWGC-design) are in a very dark grey stone (slate?) in stead of the usual white ones. Is there anyone who can explain me why the use of the dark material. Regards, Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 12 May , 2005 Share Posted 12 May , 2005 Marc CWGC use a variety of stone for the headstones. Slate and granite versions are not unusual in the UK. Everyone gets used the the white Portland, Boticcino or Hopton Wood stones seen on the Western Front but, in reality, there are many types of stone used - and of many colours - red, green, buff amongst them. The type of stone used often relates to the locality or is chosen for specific properties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 12 May , 2005 Share Posted 12 May , 2005 Mark, This must have been dealt with a couple of times. I entered "slate" and "Terry Denham" in the Search Machine, and it produced a dozen or more threads. This is only one of them. http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...1&st=&p=entry You don't have a photo ? I have never seen one. I wonder if they are in the Ypres Salient too. Aurel (Sorry, Terry, I didn't see your posting until I had posted mine. For meanwhile I was searching the Forum for "Terry Denham" ... I don't know if it is a compliment, but "headstone" and your name are inextricably tied up for me.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 12 May , 2005 Share Posted 12 May , 2005 Aurel Here is one - pic taken by Jon Saunders (a WW2 VC stone). I think this stone is wet and so it looks darker than normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 12 May , 2005 Share Posted 12 May , 2005 Thanks, Terry. Very 'nice' if I may say so. And yes, it must have been wet when the photo was taken. (A bit of the dry part near the ground ?) Never seen anything like it in the Ypres Salient. (Because there are none I guess.) Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc glorieux Posted 13 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2005 Terry, thanks for the information. So my knowledge has once more improved. Aurel, I don’t have (to my own shame) a photograph of the slate headstone. I remember that the stones were very dark, just like on the photo; and I have seen them in a dry and sunny period. They have really the colour of a slate tile without mossy traces (in flemish: schalie, en dan nog mos en algen vrij), so that I think that the pale spot on the base is dry dust. Maybe, I hope that another member can provide you with a photo from St Just in Roseland. Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swizz Posted 13 May , 2005 Share Posted 13 May , 2005 Here's a picture of some Second World War headstones in Derry City Cemetery. Unfortunately it was a very dull day when I was there, but it's certainly a much darker kind of stone. Incidentally, this is one of the best situated municipal cemeteries I've seen - the view of the walled city itself and across the Foyle is beautiful (on a good day!!) Hope this is of some interest. Swizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 13 May , 2005 Share Posted 13 May , 2005 Marc and Swizz, Thanks. And no need to worry about that specific Cornwall photo, as I have a clear idea now after seeing Terry's and Swizz's photo. Just wondering if such slate stones exist in Flanders (or France) as well. Probably not. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Strawbridge Posted 13 May , 2005 Share Posted 13 May , 2005 Most likely Delabole slate. Delabole is a village 2 miles west of Camelford, Cornwall famous for it's slate quarries. All of the houses in that area are slated and many with slated facings too. I have a photo of a headstone to a merchant seawoman buried in Newquay cemetery (CWGC cared for) which is of slate (the headstone - not the photo). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 13 May , 2005 Share Posted 13 May , 2005 Crosthwaite (St Kentigern) Churchyard near Keswick has stones of grey slate to match the general look of the Cemetery most of the stones therein are of Cumberland Slate. This makes the churchyard look very neat and tidy as an added bonus- see picture Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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