robert@scarth.net wrote: >I think the reason is practical: sandy soil = easy digging. > >Robert > > >On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 19:40:53 +0000 (GMT Standard Time), "Grumpy" wrote: > > > >>Evening greetings, >> >>Can anyone throw any light on why so many (although not all) of Orkney's >> >> >old > > >>graveyards are very close to the sea shore. >> >> > > > > Certainly the case in Stromness, built on the side of Brinkie's Brae which is solid granite. Out at Warbeth where the kirkyard is it's nice and sandy. Fine and easy to dig, although a bit of shoring up is usually necessary. -- Mike Clouston

Graveyards by the sea... I was in Westray at the weekend and the explanation that was given to that question was that apparently it says in the Bible that the sea will rise to claim its own, and hence the bodies of those who died at sea (and others) were buried close to the sea, presumably to save it rising too much. Steven ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Clouston" <mike@mikeclouston.co.uk> To: <ORCADIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 8:04 PM Subject: Re: [<orcadia>] The dead end! > robert@scarth.net wrote: > > >I think the reason is practical: sandy soil = easy digging. > > > >Robert > > > > > >On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 19:40:53 +0000 (GMT Standard Time), "Grumpy" wrote: > > > > > > > >>Evening greetings, > >> > >>Can anyone throw any light on why so many (although not all) of Orkney's > >> > >> > >old > > > > > >>graveyards are very close to the sea shore. > >> > >> > > > > > > > > > Certainly the case in Stromness, built on the side of Brinkie's Brae > which is solid granite. Out at Warbeth where the kirkyard is it's nice > and sandy. Fine and easy to dig, although a bit of shoring up is usually > necessary. > -- > Mike Clouston > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com >