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Sunday, 25 January 2015
New Update - Hatfield Road Cemetery, St Albans
Mood:
 happy
Topic: Updates
While of significant proportions and as the first in St Albans, Hatfield Road Cemetery seems fairly elusive in terms of historical information. It opened in 1884 and is still a working cemetery today.
According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission there are '147 First World War burials in Hatfield Road Cemetery, 93 of them forming a war graves plot. Some of the 79 Second World War graves form a separate plot. The rest of the graves are scattered throughout the cemetery.' http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/hatfield-road-cemetery.html Now in our tenth year online we still have 3 updates from last year to process and publish. We are looking forward to the better weather as we have a few places in mind to visit, if you know of any other interesting cemeteries or graveyards worth us visiting then please let us know - darkdestiny@operamail.com Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 4:00 PM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 1:49 PM BST
Monday, 12 January 2015
New Update - St Nicholas Church, Stevenage, Herts
Mood:
 a-ok
Topic: Updates
St Nicholas is the ancient Parish Church of Stevenage. The Saxon church on this site was replaced by a Norman one in about 1100 AD, but the only remaining part of this is the flint work tower. The church structure has been partially rebuilt many times, it's now a patchwork of nine centuries of local workmanship.
The graveyard is fairly extensive and now merges at the rear with the newer Weston Road Cemetery which opened in 1988. Along with the many headstones dating from the 1700's it has a rare example of a very ornate Mortsafe. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/st-nicholas-church-stevenage.html Hope your new year is off to a great start. We are no nearer knowing the future of Dark Destiny in regards to our hosting companies planned software retirement, but we'll let you know as soon as we are clearer on the situation. The next update will be a Victorian Cemetery, so keep a lookout for that within the next week or two. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 2:55 PM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 1:51 PM BST
Friday, 2 January 2015
New Update - St Mary the Virgin, Walkern, Hertfordshire
Mood:
 lucky
Topic: Updates
The parish church of St Mary the Virgin is the oldest village church in Hertfordshire, with a Saxon wall and rare chalk rood (crucifix) dating back to the middle 10th century. St Mary's also has a fine Purbeck marble effigy which is possibly that of William de Lanvalei, baron of Walkern in the early 13th century and one of the 25 sureties named in the Magna Carta elected to ensure that King John adhered to the 'Law of the Land' set down in the charter in 1215.
We visited on a gloomy, almost sunless day in October 2014. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/st-mary-the-virgin-walkern.html Wishing everyone a Happy New Year, next update coming very soon. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 12:51 AM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 1:52 PM BST
Monday, 22 December 2014
New Update - Church of St Peter, Benington, Hertfordshire
Mood:
 chatty
Topic: Updates
The Church of St Peter is thought to of been in existence, in one form or another, since Beortwulf’s time (839-853 AD). Beortwulf was a Christian and King of Mercia who often spent time at his palace, presumably on the site of the Benington Lordship Manor House. Benington Lordship's gardens are today open to the public and the remains of a Norman Motte and Bailey fortification are still clearly visible from the rear of St Peter's graveyard.
Our visit was on a dull and gloomy day in October 2014. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/church-of-st-peter-benington.html We might be able to fit in another update before or over Christmas but just in case we don't then we'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Just remember to take a few minutes to remember those loved ones who have passed before us. Have a great time! Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 12:23 PM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 1:55 PM BST
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
New Update - St George's Garden, Kings Cross
Mood:
a-ok
Topic: Updates
We have now finish the photography for the year and will be taking a break from the wet and muddy graveyards until January. As the future of Dark Destiny is looking very uncertain we will be pushing the updates out much quicker then normal in the hope that none of our effort goes to waste. Our webhost is forcing us to migrate the site to new software which is both useless and incompatible so our future looks uncertain. We will go into more detail via this blog as and when we know a time scale. Back to our latest update - Established in 1713, St Georges Gardens was the very first burial ground established away from a church. It was at the time two burial grounds, just over a hectare in size, divided by a wall serving the churches of St George the Martyr, Queens Square and St George's, Bloomsbury.
As so often happened it's popularity was slow to begin with until a influential churchman named Robert Nelson lead the way by being the first internment and thereafter by 1725 there were around twenty burials a month. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/st-george-s-gardens.html The next update will be in a few days where it's back to the churchyards. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 3:55 PM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 1:58 PM BST
Monday, 8 December 2014
New Update - Hill End Garden Of Rest
Mood:
 bright
Topic: Updates
Hill End Mental Asylum opened in 1900 and closed in 1995. The area is now mainly park land with the old hospital buildings converted into apartments and other areas used for new housing. The stigma of it's former use and with aparent pressure from residents the whole area is now known as Highfields Park. Out of the way of the main Hospital/Asylum was the burial ground for deceased patients and also a few staff members. It seems strange that some staff were buried along side patients but maybe they had no family or considered the Hospital to be their true home. The patients were buried in unmarked graves with only cast iron plot markers indicating their presence. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/hill-end-garden-of-rest.html For the next update we'll be back in central London at a very historic burial ground. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 1:32 PM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 2:04 PM BST
Saturday, 29 November 2014
New Update - St Mary The Virgin Church, Ware, Hertfordshire
Mood:
bright
Topic: Updates
St Mary the Virgin Church is situated in the historic Hertfordshire town of Ware which dates as far back as the Mesolithic period (which ended about 4000 BC).
Evidence suggests there has been a church on the site of St Mary the Virgin since 1078. The building is Grade I listed and sits opposite the lovely Priory Grounds with it's network of streams and rivers.
Much of the graveyard has been cleared of headstones and monuments many of the former now line the perimeter walls. The graveyard is dissected by a road and provides two pleasant green areas for sitting on one of the many benches watching the world go by. Click here - http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/st-mary-the-virgin-church-ware.html Our next update will be something a little different, no grand monuments at this burial ground of the forgotten, a case of out of sight out of mind. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 11:55 PM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 2:05 PM BST
Monday, 17 November 2014
New Update - St Andrew's Garden, Kings Cross, London
Mood:
bright
Topic: Updates
St Andrew's Garden was consecrated in 1754 as a new burial ground serving St Andrew's Church, Holborn when the churchyard became full. It closed for burials in 1850 and later reopened as a public garden in 1885 when the St Pancras Borough Council purchased the site.
Most of the headstones have now been re-located to the boundary walls and only a few chest tombs remain as points of interest. Click here - http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/st-andrew-s-gardens.html Despite the terrible weather we've still been out and about with the camera and have an additional 8 updates in the pipeline. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 8:01 PM GMT
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 2:07 PM BST
Saturday, 1 November 2014
New Update - Holy Trinity Church, Bengeo, Hertford
Mood:
a-ok
Topic: Updates
Built in 1855, Holy Trinity Church serves the parish of Bengeo, Hertford. With the rapid expansion of housing along Bengeo Street in the mid 1800's the population was outgrowing the original church of St Leonard's so it was decided a new larger church was needed in a more centralised location. Although the graveyard is now closed for burials the church remain an active hub of the local community alone with St Leonard's which is still used for services during the summer months. Click here - http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/holy-trinity-church-bengeo.html Next Update in a week or so, it might be a London burial ground or maybe another church, we'll see. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 1:23 PM BST
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 2:09 PM BST
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
UPDATE - Rectory Lane Cemetery
Mood:
 loud
Topic: Updates
Rectory Lane Cemetery in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire is also known as Three Close Lane Cemetery. It was opened, and consecrated by the Bishop of Lincoln, in 1842 when the churchyard at St Peter's church reached capacity and burials were no longer permitted. An acre of land was donated for the purpose by the Countess of Bridgewater with a further tier of land extending the Cemetery in 1921. We visited on the Heritage Openday 2014 where various events and proposals were on display regarding the future use of the Cemetery as a public amenity. http://www.darkdestiny.co.uk/rectory-lane-cemetery.html Next update, in a week or so, will be another church yard which is closely linked to our previous update. Best Wishes Neil
Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H
at 12:00 AM BST
Updated: Sunday, 5 April 2015 2:13 PM BST
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