GRAVEYARD DEVELOPMENT AND MAP
The original Churchyard, the area immediately surrounding the church, 0.35 acres in extent, was probably in use as the Parish Burial Ground by 1000 A.D. It served the needs of the parish until 1854 when the first extension of the churchyard took place round the North and West sides of the original ground.
The churchyard was further extended in a number of phases once St. Giles Parish became established in 1885.
| From 1538 the names of people buried in the Churchyard, have been recorded in a Burial Register, but it is only since 1885 that a Grave Register has been kept, which records where a person is buried. The various additions can be clearly seen on this Churchyard Map. |
 Churchyard map, click to enlarge |
Old Graveyard
The original area plus its 1854 extension are known today as the
'Old Graveyard'. It is thought that it ceased to be used for new
graves from 1885, but further burials in existing graves
continued until the Second World War and, very
occasionally, even today.
The site of the original entrance The trees mark the edge of
the ancient churchard
Kent Archaeology Society publish a map of the Old Graveyard, together with a list of graves and burials dated 1919. St. Giles have an active project to integrate these records into our own Grave Register summary as published on this website. This is expected to be completed by the middle of 2012.
The site of the original entrance The trees mark the edge of
the ancient churchard
Kent Archaeology Society publish a map of the Old Graveyard, together with a list of graves and burials dated 1919. St. Giles have an active project to integrate these records into our own Grave Register summary as published on this website. This is expected to be completed by the middle of 2012.
New Graveyard
In 1885, a further area of land was acquired to the south of the existing, to be known as the 'New Graveyard'. This was used for new burials, in parallel with the original graveyard adjacent to the Church..Extensions to the New Graveyard took place in 1935, and again in 1995, into land from the adjacent Common.
The 1935 extension The 1995 extension (in use today)
Burials in the New Graveyard are documented in three volumes of 'Grave Registers', which can be inspected by appointment with the Parish Office.
PARISH HISTORY