Elmore was the village near Gloucester where several generations of my ancestors lived until the last one to be born there moved away to farm other people’s land and married in 1830.  He returned to be buried like many other Vicks who had moved away.

St John the Baptist churchyard looking back towards the entrance through the trees

St John the Baptist churchyard looking back towards the entrance through the trees

View of the church from the churchyard entrance

View of the church from the churchyard entrance.  Anniversary celebrations to recognise 900 years of pastoral care were held during July 2015.

Area with some more recent burials

Area with some more recent burials

Church from the back where the really old Vick burials are located

Church from the back where the really old Vick burials are located.  I got distracted and don’t think I got all of the relevant monuments and the inscriptions on just about all I examined are so degraded that it will take forever to try and decipher whatever I do have.  Fortunately I have good photos from another source.

Church porch

Church porch

View over field with at least one Vick grave in view- not an ancestor. The churchyard is very well populated with visible and invisible dead Vicks.

View over field with at least one Vick grave in view- not an ancestor. The churchyard is very well populated with visible and invisible Vicks including those with a direct relationship and  those with more distant connections.

Vick heritage listed graves on the mid right

Vick heritage listed monuments on the right

Some Vick tombstones including some heritage listed ones

Some Vick monuments including some heritage listed ones

Some impressive monuments. There are quite a few heritage listed monuments in the graveyard

Some impressive monuments. There are quite a few heritage listed monuments in the graveyard.

Variety of monument style and direction of movement since installation

Variety of monument style and direction of movement since installation

Inside the church

Inside the church

Another view

Another view

Another side of the church

Another side of the church

Kneeler cushion

Kneeler cushion

More cushions, just a selection of many including ones like these reflecting the parish and made by locals

More cushions, just a selection of many including ones like these reflecting the parish and made by locals

Very old parish chest. The parish chest held the BDM registers and other important documents in the olden days

Very old parish chest. The parish chest held the BDM registers and other important documents in the olden days

Baptismal font

Baptismal font

Country road around Elmore

Country road around Elmore

Defibrillator in an old phone box located near the community centre, a new addition to the community

Defibrillator in an old phone box, a new addition to the community and  located near the community centre

 

Elmore road and a roadside war memorial

An Elmore road and a roadside war memorial

 

Entrance to the property of the traditional lord of the manor from whom my ancestors rented some of their land

Entrance to the property of the traditional lord of the manor from whom my ancestors rented some of their land including Elmore Farm, see below

Part of Elmore Farm farmed by ancestors

Part of Elmore Farm farmed by ancestors

Part of Elmore Farm farmed by ancestors

Part of Elmore Farm farmed by ancestors

Old farm house

Old farm house

I was fortunate in having a parishioner ferry me to and from Gloucester, provide access to the church and churchyard and later provide a cuppa with a tranquil view.