People aren’t likely to have a bone to pick with you if you use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably. However, it is important to understand the difference between these two burial locations.
The primary difference between a graveyard and a cemetery is that a churchyard is always affiliated with a church and located on the church’s property.
Churchyards
Churchyards are special places that matter to many people far beyond the immediate church congregation. They can be a place of history and remembrance, or they may be rare conservation areas teeming with life.
The word ‘churchyard’ derives from Middle English chirch-yerd or kirk-yerd (from Old English kirkegaard or kirkgarth). The churchyard is the area surrounding the church, including the graveyard.
Until the introduction of public cemeteries in the 19th century, many people were buried in their local churchyard. This was particularly true in England where churchyards were originally created as ‘focal points’ within villages.
Churchyard monuments – table tombs, effigies and lychgates – are a remarkable national treasure. They are often picture-postcards of great historic interest, but they also provide a place for quiet reflection and offer a break from the cacophony of our modern world. They are unique repositories of information about our past and a rich heritage of art and nature. They need to be protected, but they are under threat.
Cemeteries
Cemeteries are a place where people have been buried. They are usually adjacent to a church or other religious building and often have strict rules about what can be done on them. They have many gravestones arranged in rows and are typically manicured with well-manicured lawns and dotted with plastic flowers.
During the Middle Ages, wealthy or influential Christians were typically buried inside their churches in crypts. Less wealthy congregation members were buried outside in a section of the churchyard that became known as the graveyard.
As land shortages and the preference for cremation eat away at traditional burial sales, cemetery managers have been seeking ways to reinvent their sites as unique public spaces. Increasingly, they are turning to eco-friendly burial services and repurposing old sections of the cemetery as parks and events centers. This trend could offer new revenue streams for existing and future graveyards, extending the life of a property well after its final lots have been sold.
Gravestones
A gravestone is a type of stone grave marker that can be flat or upright. These stones can also be carved into different shapes. They are usually made from granite, but they can also be made from marble, sandstone, or limestone.
In the 18th century, gravestone styles began to evolve from simple slabs to more decorative forms. Designs on gravestones included memento mori symbols, like skulls and winged death’s heads, urns, and weeping willows, as well as emblems of trade, profession, or military rank.
The inscriptions on these monuments are sometimes studied by sociolinguists for clues as to the language loyalty of the deceased. The use of a particular carved symbol may also indicate religious affiliations and beliefs. In addition, many of these stones are remarkable geological specimens, featuring gneisses and migmatites with a wide range of minerals. Geologists often study these stones for clues as to the history of the area where the stones were sourced.
Niches
If you are making a large number of tombstones and want them to look realistic, then it is important that they have lots of little nooks and crannies. These are what make them more realistic at night when people will be looking for them. Using a sheet of rigid foam insulation, cut into various sizes is the best way to get them, although a full size sheet may be overkill for a few dozen tombstones.
In the dark, chilly Victorian vaults of Highgate Cemetery in London, the rare orb-weaving cave spider Meta bourneti is flourishing. These dark, quiet urban refuges serve as an ideal substitute for the caves and tree hollows this species usually inhabits.