Nuthall
St Patrick

Churchyard

The churchyard encircles the church. It is bound on the south side by the A610 road and to the east and north by the old rectory and its garden. It was extended to the west in 1860, almost doubling in size to an acre. The Vestry Records proposed the removal of “cottages standing thereon [land adjoining the churchyard of] ... 1155 square yards.” A Mr Bradbury was paid 16 pounds for “pulling down old buildings.”

View across the churchyard from the west, looking towards the church View looking north-west from near the entrance
(some C18 stones are visible in the fore- and mid-ground)
Display of crocuses in the north churchyard, planted by Mr G Turton

There are 161 extant gravestones in the churchyard but the four to five feet build-up of soil above the road level south of the church, plus the evidence in the Parish Burial Records (1674 burials between 1663 and 1920), give testimony of centuries of past interments, most of which were unmarked by gravestones. In 1885 it was proposed that the “old portion of the Church Yard should be levelled, and that the graves which have not a headstone should be marked by cast iron pegs ... and a record kept of the numbers and occupants of the grave.” A further Vestry meeting in 1891 thanked W S Taylor for his kindness in making plans of the churchyard with a register of the graves. Presentment bills in 1684 and 1718 advised the repair and heightening of the south churchyard wall, and in the Nottingham Journal in 1884 it was reported that the same old walling was being repaired in a substantial manner.

In 1954 a faculty was granted for improvements to the churchyard. At this time thirty-two gravestones were removed from the south side and stacked along to the northern perimeter fence. The oldest memorials remaining on the south side are two small headstones, one marked “E.H. 1671”, the other, c1670, inscribed “M.Y. ye 23...” .They were lifted back to above ground level in 1884. Three further groups of interesting 18th century stones lie just west of the church.

The two oldest headstones Close-up of one of the old gravestones (marked E H) Close-up of one of the other old stone (marked M Y)

A yew tree that towers over the south porch is said to be of great age and is a well-known Nuthall landmark. Especially attractive is the large drift of purple Nottingham crocuses, planted by the late Mr G Turton, along the north side of the churchyard. The churchyard is well kept and has many trees. The west gateway of the churchyard led, in past times, along a private footpath to the medieval manor house and at a later date to Nuthall Temple, both were situated due south of the church.

Plan of the churchyard

A new small cemetery, opened in 1935, which now serves the parish, is nearby. The churchyard although not officially closed is rarely used except for cremations when ashes are placed within a relative’s grave space.

The churchyard has been surveyed, the existing memorials photographed and inscriptions recorded, together with a very detailed account of all other things pertaining to the churchyard.