There are many beautiful examples of Victorian symbolism in the style and carvings on memorials and headstones at Ford Park cemetery.


Weeping willows, urns with draped cloth, serpents, passionflowers, anchors, columns abruptly cut, shaking hands, fingers pointing upwards and a range of different angels all have symbolic significance and express the grief and sense of loss of a family.

Scores of different examples of symbolism can be found with a stroll around the oldest quarter of the cemetery, near the chapels and round vaults. 

Not everyone could afford the white marble imported into the city from Italy so some families painted grey cheaper Delabole slate headstones white to mimic the more expensive material. This makes for a good game trying to spot whether the stone is marble or not.

Victorian symbolism is a popular theme of our guided walk events and many examples can be seen on the heritage trail.

Some memorials are very personal and unique to the individual being honoured and inscriptions can be useful starting points for research into the life of the person interred there.



To contact us call 01752 665442, Fax 01752 601177 or
e-mail at info@ford-park-cemetery.org