Everton Holy Trinity

Churchyard

A section of the
churchyard wall

 View of the
churchyard from
the tower

The rectangular churchyard is one acre in extent, it is bounded by Church Street to the south, and Church Street Lane to the west where it is enclosed by a stone wall topped with bricks; the church is offset to the east side. On the north are farm buildings and a high brick wall and on the east a hedge and fence separate the churchyard from the vicarage garden. The level of the churchyard is very much higher than its surroundings. There is evidence that not only was the churchyard at a much lower level in the past but was much larger in area. In 1934 mains electricity was brought to the village, during the excavation of the trench for the electric cable across the village green between the churchyard and Glebe Cottage to the west of the churchyard skeletons were found. When the sewage system was installed in the early 1960s the deep trench along Church Street brought more bodies to light. Recently water main repairs in Church Lane have revealed more skeletons. This suggests that the churchyard extended further to the south and west. It also gives some indication of how much higher the churchyard is now than in the past.

Evans family
monument

The churchyard was closed by order of the Queen’s Privy Council on 5 June 1886 and the cemetery was opened on Mattersey Road. Many of the grave markers were laid flat in the early 1956. A plan of the graves can be found in the porch. The tomb of the Rev Evans and his family on the north side of the church is Grade II listed.

The earliest grave marker is 1764. Another interesting grave marker is that of two children which reads ‘Sacred to the memory of Cornelia second daughter of Edgar Henry Longstaff and Cornelia Hamilton his wife born October 1810 died January 1811. Also of Frederic Buchanan Longstaff son of the above named born 1836. He was accidentally killed by the falling of a stone from the chancel of Ilkestone Church Derbyshire on 10th may 1844’.

Today most of the churchyard has been turned into a nature reserve participating in the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Blue Butterfly Scheme. Unfortunately the footpath from the church to the entrance on Church Lane is no longer visible.