When I lived in Lincolnshire I often came across beautifully carved eighteenth century slate gravestones and memorial tablets. The slate itself had usually come from Swithland in Leicestershire, a source of some of the finest slate in the country. What made the gravestones special was the way they looked like they had been recently carved, so well did the stone retain the details of the mason's work. The example above can be seen on the tower of St Andrew at Billingborough, Lincolnshire. Carved soon after the death of the seventeen year old girl in 1779 every letter, numeral, swirl and patera is as legible and clear today as it was all those years ago. The only thing that mars the tablet is staining from the metal brackets that hold it against the wall.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10 2017
