St Helen’s closed churchyard is a space thousands of people walk through every day from South Abingdon to the town centre and back. The churchyard itself is fenced off, and people do not normally wander among its graves.
At present, in late February, white blossom softens one corner by the church.
The neat doors and windows of the Almshouses stand in contrast to the worn, leaning gravestones. Some of the gravestones seem to have been left as ornaments, while others appear to have been removed to make maintenance easier. Most of these stones are too worn to read. I am not sure when the last burial took place or when the churchyard was officially closed. The Town Council is now responsible for maintaining it.
Elsewhere in the churchyard, old tombs have been left undisturbed, covered in moss. Light filters through the trees, casting shadows on the stones, while dry leaves gather in the corners. Some names are still legible here, such as Mary Jenner and Richard Messenger Jenner. Mr. R. M. Jenner was a manager of the Savings Bank in Abingdon, according to the Berkshire Chronicle of 20th May 1843.
Would be nice for the record and history what/who the existing stones/plots are and who they refer to. Maybe something already exists as to who is buried there that documents that.
Always amuses me that to the right of St Helens (if you are stood in the street) there was a pub (when once everything to feed the town and beyond came up the river to the wharf) and when that was demolished (after time) people were buried on that plot.