Shocking State of Affairs in Edinburgh

[david macdiarmid]

I visited the cemetery at the bottom of Dalkeith Road recently and was appalled at what i saw.The whole cemetery was totally overgrown,probably the majority of stones were laid flat on the ground.I do not know if this was for safety reasons or vandalism,but this was indeed a shocking state of affairs for a cemetery,in it's hay day,must have been one of the most attractive in the City.This is run by the Council,surely they can be held to account for the lack of maintenance.Has anyone else visited this site and had the same experience.It is certainly the worst i have ever seen,David

[Russell]

Hi David

I accept your frustration about the condition of a council maintained cemetery especially when you go to small villages like Sorn where the council cemetery wins prizes for its condition and beauty but must admit to ambivalent feelings about our situation regards graveyards generally.
Our local churches have burial grounds - no longer actively used - which are looked after by the council after a fashion. Why should the present generation foot the bill for Lairs which were privately purchased Each lair was bought by a family and they had the responsibility and cost of maintaining it. Sometimes the family have stayed in the town or village and continued to use the lair and look after it but often a family has moved away and no arrangements are made for its upkeep. Over time even the best built headstone will subside or break between the base and vertical slab. It is an expensive repair and many feel that their rates/community tax should be spent on roads/schools/libraries/transport etc... etc... instead of someone elses' private property.
Take a trip to Piershill Cemetery which is privately owned (and Maintained) and you will see what can be done......but at a cost. Thee is an annual service fee of £25.00. Not a lot these days but still too much for some families. Where survivors have emigrated they are not likely to make an annual trip from Oz or Canada or whereever to place a few flowers at the grave and even less likely to pay every year for the grave and stone to be looked after. If I lay claim to my grandparents grave I will have 50 years of backpayments to make up
Who should bear the cost of making safe a stone slab erected in 1795 which is now so eroded that the original inscription is unreadable. I have agonized over this dilemma for some years and have yet to reach a resolution.

Russell

[david macdiarmid]

Thanks for that Russell,ok so what is the solution? If we settle for the status quo,in time cemeteries will be flattened for the Garbage,that planners and architects in Edinburgh call 21st Century housing.Even if we have an 18th century graveyard with no living relatives,surely,for God's sake it is up to us to protect and preserve.It is in a way a sort of Heritage and i think rightly or wrongly it is up to us to save these sanctuary's for future generations. Once it's gone it's gone.This graveyard has obviously had a fair amount of eminent residents and a Jewish quarter ,and it must be heartbreaking as a li ving relative to visit this place.I am fully aware that the Cooncil's are broke,but i am looking to you and other forum users to find a way ahead,Regards,David

[Russell]

Hi David

I'm not sure that any forum with a widespread membership like ours could accomplish anything. I think it takes the local community to take pride in their own heritage. It all comes down to money in the end......Who pays
I was in the tiny cemetery at Appin last week and it was immaculate despite some of the gravestones going back to 1790's. I wondered what was different from some of the older graveyards I have visited and realised that it was still in use for burials and family had to pass through the older part of the cemetery to reach the most recent interments. I think the community there have a strong sense of attachment and pride in their cemetery which is lost when a burial ground goes out of use.

Russell

[AndrewP]

Some of the City of Edinburgh Council cemeteries are adequately maintained, others are thoroughly neglected. The privately owned cemeteries in the city are in various conditions - some as they should be, others neglected. According to the following website, the Council took Newington Cemetery over after the private owners had left it in a neglected state.

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Edinburgh/Newington.htm

The toppled headstones may be from vandalism or neglect; or from the Council's health and safety audit where they tested each headstone and laid flat (should be text side upwards) any that they deemed to be unstable. If an individual wishes to have such a toppled stone repaired and stood up, then they can hire their own monumental mason and pay the fee. If not, the Council say that when money permits they will try and stand them back up. However with the Council's financial status, we could wait a long time for that.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Jamboesque]

In Orkney, at least on the wee-er islands they use sheep to maintain the grass in graveyards, and in general in works very well.

Maybe the council could invest in a small flock, moving them about as required

At least it would be a low cost solution, with a mutton stew to look forward at the end of their productive lives.

[Adam Brown]

Some of the City of Edinburgh Council cemeteries are adequately maintained, others are thoroughly neglected. ..According to the following website, the Council took Newington Cemetery over after the private owners had left it in a neglected state

I passed this the other day and it looked like some work was being done in the cemetery, I think a wall was being repaired but no proper maintenance on making the rest of it look presentable. I think Warriston has to be the worst. They maintain the top part but the lower part is overgrown and the extension beyond the old railway line has been completely abandoned as far as I can see.

I only wish someone could take these cemeteries out of council care in the same way they were taken into council care because they were already in a very poor state before the council ran out of money. Even the maintained ones like Morningside, Rosebank and Eastern were only getting the most basic of care.

The safety measures implemented after they council took control of the ex-privately run cemeteries was a disgrace. Hundreds of stones all over Edinburgh were toppled - many face down- and are still like that today.

Don't expect the situation to improve any time soon.

Adam

[Moray_Lass]

It may not be as impossible as you think. I don't think Bellie was in as bad a state but some people did something about it.

http://www.belliechurchyard.co.uk/

[marilyn morning]

Here volunteers such as the boyscouts are used to clear some of the older cemeteries, perhaps such a group could be rounded up to help out?

Regards
Marilyn

[Russell]

Hi Marilyn

Even asking the Scouts here would involve cash. They would look for a donation. Then Child Safety Regulations would have to be considered, permission would have to be obtained (that could be difficult), then Health and Safety issues would need to be considered. And that hasn't taken into account the need for adult volunteers to work alongside them.

Would it all be worth it

Russell