Brinsley
St James

Churchyard

The Church is set back from the A608 Eastwood to Mansfield road with the front and side of the church yard being well kept lawn with several flower beds and a variety of trees, including well grown yews, close to the church. Visitors enter the churchyard by a lych gate. Immediately in front of the Chancel windows are modern memorials and older graves are mostly behind the church. The yard has a retaining wall to the side and rear, where it extends to a public footpath, and on the far side of the path is a very recent extension. Late 19th and 20th century graves are generally to be found to the right of the church, which is evidently a more modern extension and must have doubled the size of the original. It includes an area for car parking. The most recent extension was consecrated in 1996 and the remainder of the Churchyard was closed to burials in 1998. Broxtowe Borough Council undertakes the upkeep of the churchyard, retaining walls, paths and fences.

Several of the graves testify to the dangers of working in the local pits. There are a number of graves erected by the War Graves Commission. Several commemorate former churchwardens and there is one to Joseph C Gething, who contributed to the original building fund for the church. There are graves belonging to members of D H Lawrence’s family, including those of his grandparents.

The burial registers date back to 1861, when Brinsley became independent of Greasley, but burials took place earlier than that and may be found recorded in the Greasley registers.

To the rear of the church are open fields running down to the Erewash Valley, with extensive views over the surrounding countryside and of Heanor Church on the ridge.

The lych gate The main part of the churchyard (recently closed) The new churchyard extension The east end of the church, showing the Garden of Remembrance