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Ancient gravestones used as footpath Tombstone footpath a 'grave error' at Clophill church
(about 2 hours later)
Gravestones from an ancient churchyard are being used as a footpath. A church has been accused of making a "grave error" by using ancient tombstones as a footpath.
Clophill Heritage Trust, which manages St Mary's Church and graveyard in Clophill, Bedfordshire, said it took "professional advice" to lay them flat. The trust that manages St Mary's Church in Clophill, Bedfordshire, said it came from "professional advice" on saving the gravestones for the future.
In a statement, the trust said the stones, which now form part of the Poetry and Peace Path, were moved from their original sites in the 1960s to protect them. Clophill Heritage Trust said the stones, which now form part of the Poetry and Peace Path, had already moved from original sites in the 1960s.
The move has been called a "grave error" and "disrespectful". Church Society vice president Alison Ruoff called the path "brilliant".
A number of people commented about the "disgraceful" and "disrespectful" path on the BBC Three Counties Radio Facebook page. The gravestones are understood to all be more than 100 years old and a remembrance garden will be planted along the path.
The trust said the stones continued to be "a target for anti-social behaviour" despite being moved around the perimeter of the church in the 1960s.
Ms Ruoff said "vandals are always up to something" and she was pleased that the gravestones would now be "used for something that can be made beautiful".
She added: "You can go to many churches and actually walk on people's gravestones in the aisle. You don't go leapfrogging around them, you just walk over them normally.
"They're there as a reminder of people who have lived their lives well or not in the past. Why should we worry about it? We get hung up on all sorts of strange things."
But a number of people commented about the "disgraceful" and "disrespectful" path on the BBC Three Counties Radio Facebook page.
One man said the path, which features poetry from young people, showed an "astonishing lack of respect".One man said the path, which features poetry from young people, showed an "astonishing lack of respect".
He added: "Grave error bearing in mind the villagers were not consulted and many are in uproar after only finding out about it yesterday."He added: "Grave error bearing in mind the villagers were not consulted and many are in uproar after only finding out about it yesterday."
But others were open to the idea, with one person calling it a "great use of these semi-historic bits of stone". Others were open to the idea, with one person calling it a "great use of these semi-historic bits of stone".
Another added: "I think it's a lovely idea but I can understand some families' issue with this, especially if they were not consulted.
"I can imagine it's lovely to walk along reading and remembering the wonderful people buried there years ago."
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Clophill Heritage Trust said that after being moved during the 1960s, the stones were "reset around the perimeter of the churchyard" but have continued to be "a target for anti-social behaviour".
The trust said it had "sought professional advice regarding the best way forward" for the stones, many of which were "in danger of falling".The trust said it had "sought professional advice regarding the best way forward" for the stones, many of which were "in danger of falling".
"Churches regularly reuse old gravestones where the inscription is no longer visible, and we have followed best practice by recording which stones have been placed in each location," it said."Churches regularly reuse old gravestones where the inscription is no longer visible, and we have followed best practice by recording which stones have been placed in each location," it said.
"The Poetry and Peace Path was seen to be the most appropriate and positive way of keeping and denoting respect for the flat stones without inscriptions.""The Poetry and Peace Path was seen to be the most appropriate and positive way of keeping and denoting respect for the flat stones without inscriptions."