Bervie churchyard located within the town of
Inverbervie was originally a seat of the Carmelite Friars. Along with
other monasteries at the time of the Reformation Bervie was suppressed.
The parish of Bervie was formed in 1618. Only one part of the graveyard
reminds us of those early days, the west wall of the old kirk which can
still be seen in the north-west side of the graveyard.
In 1980 it was reported that this graveyard was
the most neglected in Scotland, with overgrown grass full of broken
glass and plastic wrappers. I'm happy to report that at the time of my
visit (2003) the graveyard grounds were in much better condition. The
grass had been recently cut, (though the cuttings had been left), and
there was little sign of glass or other litter. Sadly of course the
damage to the stones is permanent and there was ample evidence of past
misdeeds. Nearly all of the sandstone monuments were damaged with broken
or chipped faces. Hopefully as the public continues to realise how much
of a national treasure these places are this type of damage will recede.
Let's hope so anyway. Bervie has suffered enough.
The parish church is located on King Street (the
main thoroughfare through Inverbervie) with the graveyard approximately
200 metres to the south-east down Kirkburn. A set of steps leads you up
to the grounds which lie above street level. It would be nice if a sign
or poster could be erected to inform visitors of the name and history of
the grounds. At the time of my visit there was nothing. Hopefully the
authorities will take this in hand sometime in the future. The more
interest that is generated, the better.
This is not the most visually interesting of
graveyards but there are stones that are worthy of interest. Take
special note of those placed against the walls. There are some fine
examples of 17th and 18th century stonework. Within those standing are
some good examples of Victorian architecture.
Overall well worth a visit.
If you require a specific gravestone photo from the above send me your relevant details and
I'll e-mail you what I have. Contact me
here
Click on photos below to enlarge
