David Seymour Posted 24 August , 2007 Share Posted 24 August , 2007 I came across some black CWGC headstones in Swanage Cemetery the other day. Quite a surprise as I have never seen such before. There were also a couple of standard white ones. Can anyone explain the black ones? Grateful as always for any help. Best wishes, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 24 August , 2007 Share Posted 24 August , 2007 Hi David...useful info found here in a previous thread cheers, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Seymour Posted 24 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 24 August , 2007 Jon, Thanks for putting me on to that thread. Strange that Portland stone was not used in Swanage - given its proximity to the quarries. Best wishes, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 24 August , 2007 Share Posted 24 August , 2007 Perhaps a request from the family? Not sure if relatives had any say in which type of stone was used though... cheers, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog Posted 26 August , 2007 Share Posted 26 August , 2007 Hi In staffordshire there are two colours Grey WW1 and White WW2, this may on the same line as your black one. In Gloucestershire, Derbyshire they are all white regards Alf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Seymour Posted 26 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 26 August , 2007 That's interesting, Alf. Everything I've seen in Dorset so far has been standard white with the black ones only appearing in Swanage. Best wishes, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMill Posted 27 August , 2007 Share Posted 27 August , 2007 The Naval Section in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham has many dark grey/black slate CWGC headstones. There are some earlier burials with what appears to have been the standard pre-CWGC naval headstone and these seem to be standard grey/black slate. One of the Frittenden men I am researching has one of these headstones and he died in October 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 29 August , 2007 Share Posted 29 August , 2007 Most of the CWGC gravestones in Dyce Cemetery near where I live in Aberdeen are of granite - and very fine they look too! I assume these are made from the local Rubislaw Granite, though I'm not certain. cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dycer Posted 29 August , 2007 Share Posted 29 August , 2007 Steve, Could be Dyce Granite . Instead of branching off to the Cemetery keep on straight up Tyrebagger and you'll find the Quarry. George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy smith Posted 13 September , 2008 Share Posted 13 September , 2008 Hi I have just been on holiday in the Isles of Scilly. When looking around some of the Island churches, I noticed that there were some headstones made of Black Slate, not the normal white Portland stone. These were WW1, the WW2 ones were in white portland stones. Does any one know the reason why theses where in Black Slate, the designs of the unit badges and inscription are the same as the portland stone types Many Thanks Billy Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burlington Posted 13 September , 2008 Share Posted 13 September , 2008 Probably because it is the local stone. Here is Wales there are very many in grey slate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 14 September , 2008 Share Posted 14 September , 2008 We only think of Portland Stone as 'normal' because we see so much of it in the UK and on the Western Front but there are about forty different stones which have been used over the years and in different locations. Even the more common white headstones are not all Portland - some being Hopton Wood or Botticino Limestone. Slate is not unusual in the UK as is not various types of granite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clio Posted 14 September , 2008 Share Posted 14 September , 2008 I seem to recall a reddish stone used in some headstones in France. Corsenside stone is it ? There is a well known Manchester Regiment shot-at-dawn headstone in this material Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil1963 Posted 30 December , 2020 Share Posted 30 December , 2020 There are three black ones in a churchyard in North Kent that I often go to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbriscoe Posted 10 January , 2021 Share Posted 10 January , 2021 The black Welsh slate ones can be a real pain to photograph. I visited one churchyard every day for nearly a week before I manage to get reasonable lighting conditions. There are these non-standard slate ones. I was going to paste my pictures from FLICKR but thanks to their "improvements in security I cannot access my account! PS Have other IWM WMR volunteers lost access to SHAREFILE? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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