Caynham Village, Shropshire
St. Mary’s Church -
Memorial Assessment Report for St. Mary's Church, Caynham
Caring for God's Acre (CfGA) is the charity for the conservation of churchyards and burial grounds. In carrying out this memorial assessment CfGA found all 3 categories of risk in churchyard memorials, that is: unsafe, urgent action required, monitor high, medium or low risk and safe and secure retest at intervals.
Disclaimer: On the day of assessment (8th June 2011), the memorials assessed were in the condition described in this report. Caring for God's Acre cannot be held responsible for unforeseen incorrect information, or for the opinion and action of any person or organisation involved with the surveys or assessment of the churchyard memorials.
The map shows the rough positions of the memorials assessed and the numbers roughly correspond with a plan of the churchyard graves held by the PCC - which can be seen here. BUT please note that those plot numbers may have been amended when a later churchyard survey was undertaken in 2013 and many new graves were added. To refer to the latest 2013 survey list, map, and photos, please visit our New Parish Records or select "parish records" on the drop-down menu on the St Mary's Church page.
Introduction
The churchyard memorials at St Mary's, Caynham were tested using the National Association
of Memorial Masons (NAMM) guidelines. This is an effective risk-
- The identification of the different types of memorial in the churchyard and their material.
- An overall assessment of the risks associated with these memorials following inspection.
- An inspection methodology for assessing the risk of each memorial, which involves
-
- A visual check for any obvious signs on instability.
- A hand test to identify instability problems.
- Recommendations for other inspections as appropriate -
e.g. a specialist structural engineer.
The memorials tested are reported on as follows:
- Memorial Record grave number -
the graveyard plan and numbered graves did not correspond exactly to a number of the graves (so you may wish to refer to the new survey map and grave plots recorded above). - Name on memorial -
many were illegible so numbers and photos can identify memorial - Sizes -
measurements were taken of the older graves - Material -
stone type or other material - Type of memorial -
refers to the design type e.g. cross, book, obelisk etc - Defects -
anything which was picked up by visual inspection and hand test. - Risk Category -
there are 3 risk categories 1. unsafe urgent action 2. monitor medium or low risk 3. Safe/secure re test at intervals - Action required to stabilize or make memorial safe -
some suggestions have been given - Further information -
any additional information thought to be instructive or helpful.
High Risk
There were 4 memorials which came within the unsafe, urgent action required in order to minimise risk:
The memorials no 96, adjacent to the main footpath is a priority. The pointed iron railings have surrounded this memorial for many years but this does not make it safe or reduce the risk. Should someone trip or slip on the path then the height of the railings could be extremely dangerous. Church officials should consider what they wish to do. The cross inside the railings is also loose on one of its plinths.
A cross no 48a, although away from the main path, is loose on its plinth and therefore very unsafe indeed.
The box tomb near the church porch no 1 is unsafe.
A box table tomb no 74 at the east end of the churchyard has gaps at one end, which should be filled.
Other areas of high risk include:
The broken or low memorials covered by ivy. These present a risk to people straying from the paths or to those carrying out churchyard practical tasks. To minimise this risk remove loose pieces of stone and maintain visibility of stable monuments by keeping them clear of ivy.
There were areas where soil had either sunk or been dug by rabbits leaving fairly deep holes. These could cause a trip hazard particularly to workers cutting grass and perhaps using hand held machinery. See memorial no 25, for example.
The medium to low risk category memorials should be monitored. Although they were all stable, the lean on some of them was serious. These memorials should be checked each year to monitor lean. There would be a case for putting upright the very worst cases.
The safe secure memorials would need re testing less often.
Dealing with Failure
The owner is responsible for keeping the memorial in good condition. If they cannot be contacted it then becomes the churches responsibility to make it safe. If failure does not need urgent attention then an effort must be made to contact the owner of the memorial.
If it is unsafe then minimise the risk. The protection of the memorial is paramount at all times and any staking or banding etc should not be on the face of the headstone. HSE are against stakes as they in themselves are a hazard.
Care must be taken when cordoning off. Coloured tape may draw attention to children and they could investigate this and be harmed.
On full size memorials, if kerb, posts, crosses etc are detached then lay them within the grave space.
Any memorial lain down or staked etc cannot be left forever. After a period of time it must be re fixed or removed and stored.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment provides a focus on those risks with the potential to cause real harm. It is a process and not an end in itself. The law does not expect the elimination of risk only that people are protected as far as is reasonably practicable. Risk assessments of churchyard memorials can be carried out by competent volunteers and the recommendations in this report for re testing and monitoring can be carried out by volunteers.
Risk Assessment is a 5 step approach:
Step 1 : identify the hazard -
Step 2 : identify who may be harmed and how e.g. volunteer workers or visitors
Step 3 : Evaluate the risk of a memorial falling and harming someone and decide on the precautions needed to control this risk.
Step 4 : Record the significant findings of the risk assessment
Step 5 : Review the risk assessment periodically to see if anything has changed and update it if necessary.