Anfield Cemetery War Graves

[Guest lesley]

On a recent trip "home" to Liverpool we spent an interesting couple of hours wandering round the cemetery. The vast majority of WW1 headstones were not white but a dirty reddish/brown colour. The only white ones were from WW2 or WW1 stones which were so new they must have been replacements for the originals.

Does anyone know the reason for the different colour?

Is this common in UK cemeteries?

[Terry Denham]

Lesley

We get so used to seeing Portland Stone headstones in the WF cemeteries that it is easy to forget that they are routinely made from several different types of stone including granite and slate. These other materials are more usually seen away from the WF - though not always.

The colour you describe sounds like a stone called Hopton Wood although some reddish sandstones are also used - as well as green. Hopton Wood is commonly used by CWGC although there is another dull pinkish red stone called Robin Hood! Often the use of one particular stone or another is decided by local supply or the desire to blend in with other memorials.

The new white ones could have been either Portland or Boticcino limestone.

Were they like these?

http://www.1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?s...53&hl=sandstone

[gem22]

Lesley

I had a similar experience a few months back at a Western front cemetery. I ended up with a very full and interesting reply from Terry Denham.

Basically it is not as uncommon as one would expect, but I'm sure that, if Terry sees your posting, he'll give you a better answer than I can.

Garth

[Guest lesley]

Thanks Terry & Gem - I knew some one would know the answer.

No the colour is not the same as in the photo, but similar. Most graves are in the older part of the cemetery and the coloured stone blends in well so I guess this is the reason.

Has the use of coloured stone been discontinued? as the replacement and WW2 headstones are white and they certainly stand out!

[Terry Denham]

Where the coloured stones appear in a CWGC cemetery, they are continued when replaced.

However, I think that in the UK replacements tend to be either Portland or Boticcino - or granite/slate in Scotland/Wales etc. However, I have seen granite and Portland stones mixed in at least one Scottish cemetery - but only for scattered graves not in the war plot.

[Martin B]

There are dark grey (granite ?) headstones in Gateshead and on the western front I've seen orange (sandstone ?) headstones at Gouy En Artois (nr. Arras).

[Guest lesley]

Following Terry's lead I emailed the CWGC and asked the question. The headstones are a sandstone known as Stancliffe - Light brown in colour. They inform me that the majority of headstones in the industrial north such as Leeds, Manchester are this colour.

They offered no suggestions however as to why the use of this material was discontinued.