Sunday September 14th 2014
The Graveyard Shift was a special event held as part of Berkhamsted’s Heritage Open Days to launch the Rectory Lane Cemetery Project. The main aim of the event was to consult with the public as to what they would like to see happening in the Cemetery and how it could be enhanced and managed in the future.
A packed programme of activities and events was laid on to raise awareness of the rich heritage and ecology of the Cemetery. The event began with the arrival of the splendid Victorian hearse pulled by two black horses. The Groundwork Trust and the Wildlife Trust set up tents offering information, quizzes and activities, there were displays of landscaping proposals, stonemasonry demonstrations, brass rubbing workshops, and wildlife activities for children. Characters in Victorian costume, including a ghostly gravedigger, toured the site, and the folk band KARA performed a set of hauntingly beautiful music, including laments and songs of Remembrance.
Read the Report on the “Graveyard Shift” Launch Event
The Graveyard Shift was generously supported by Dacorum Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Berkhamsted Town Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund Start-Up Grant, public donations at the event and the remainder from the Friends of St Peters, Berkhamsted.
Photo credits: special thanks to David Levenson and Andy Spain for their atmospheric shots of this event
