The tenth and final episode of this series produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy about the building that people have constructed over the centuries to help themselves work, live and enjoy themselves. In this final episode John explores the many churches and graveyards across the Northeast and North Yorkshire to see how our ancestors were laid to rest and how some attempted to be remembered. Over a montage of John...

The tenth and final episode of this series produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy about the building that people have constructed over the centuries to help themselves work, live and enjoy themselves. In this final episode John explores the many churches and graveyards across the Northeast and North Yorkshire to see how our ancestors were laid to rest and how some attempted to be remembered. Over a montage of John Grundy wearing various costumes and maps of the region the opening credits. Title: Grundy Goes… Six Feet Under Standing in the graveyard of the parish church of Saint Bartholomew in the village of Whittingham near Alnwick in Northumberland is Grundy ‘the Grave’, an Undertaker. As he walks through the churchyard past dozens of gravestones, he explains that for more than a 1000 years more than 10,000 people have been buried here. In order to squeeze them all in, he explains, many gravediggers have happily sliced through old graves. A phantom car ride past another church where the ground in the graveyard is higher than that of its surroundings. This explains Grundy ‘the Grave’ is known as ‘grave earth’ and is metre or two of additional earth containing a ‘layer-cake of skeletons.’ It also proves, says presenter John Grundy, that this churchyard is ancient. A montage of ancient churches in the region ending on Escomb Saxon Church near Bishop Auckland in County Durham. John comes around the side of the building and explains that graveyards are believed to have started by Archbishop of Canterbury Cuthbert in 752AD. However, churches like the one at Escomb are older and over a montage of some of the building ancient features John explains that the round churchyard could have been a conversion of a heathen or pagan temple. The remote landscape around the village of Bewcastle in Cumbria changes to the churchyard of St Cuthbert’s and what John describes as the ‘most marvellous object in Britain’ the Bewcastle Cross. Over views of the Anglo-Saxon stone carving John provides details on its history and pointing out many of the features of this the oldest surviving churchyard memorials in the country. Inside St Thomas’s Church at Brompton in North Yorkshire three Viking grave-covers or Hogbacks with John providing details on this new form of carving style which he describes as ‘splendidly pagan.’ As John walks around another graveyard, he explains that it was only the very rich who could afford a lasting memorial in the Middle Ages. As Grundy ‘the Grave’ walk past examples of them, he provides details of how early coffins were made being carved from a single block of stone with a hole in the back to allow the ‘loathsome juices to flow away’. On explaining how snug they were John Grundy lays down inside one in the churchyard. Additional details are added with regards Medieval coffin lids and markers and that hundreds-and-thousands of them have survived including an exquisitely carved 14th century grave lid inside St Michael and All Angels church at Middleton Tyas in North Yorkshire. Outside in the churchyard John walks past a 15th century roof stone with heraldic shield standing in a doorway. At Gainford near Darlington in County Durham John walks into porch of St Mary’s Church where several Medieval coffin lids have been used in its construction. He goes into detail about the meanings of each of the carvings, symbols explain John not of death but of life. Over a montage of several churches John explains that if you were very rich you could be buried inside the church. Over views of the exterior of Newcastle Cathedral John talks about its history as well as the daring superstructure of its tower lantern. Inside John walks around the ancient parish church admiring is Medieval arcade and font cover before he is ‘hit in the eye’ by what he describes as ‘big white marble rich chaps.’ Standing beside the memorial monument to Matthew White-Ridley John provides details on its exquisite carving describing it as elegant and noble but at the same time silly and overdone. He explains what he means and why he likes and dislikes such monuments. At the church of St Mary’s in the village of Masham in North Yorkshire John looks over and both admires and finds funny two of the churches marble effigies beginning with the monument to Abstrupus Danby and the Jacobian alabaster tombs of Sir Marmaduke Wyvill and his wife with John going into details at its exquisite design features typical of the period. He also finds funny the inscription of a woman buried in the church crypt, her stone being along the aisle. As John Grundy steps away Grundy ‘the Grave’ comes over to explain that old churches like this are ‘riddled with old brick tombs’ like the one for this woman. Walking down the aisle John says that until churches were renovated there were often complained by parishioners of bad smells and flies coming from these tombs, makes you want to go out into the churchyard for some fresh air. Title: End of Part One Part Two In a churchyard John Grundy walks over to a wall and tells a story about how graveyards are often described as great spots or beautiful places. He provides details of features often associated with graveyards such as ewe trees which John explains may date back to before the church was built and were considered in the pagan world as the tree of death. At another church a lychgate where the bodies could be rested on its way to the funeral. In the churchyard of St Mary and St Michael Church at Doddington in Northumberland both John and Grundy ‘the Grave’ talks about its watch house, built in the early 19th century to prevent body snatching for the medical schools at both Newcastle and Edinburgh. As he walks through another churchyard John explains why he considers gravestones to be objects of beauty. Following a montage of some of the stones Grundy ‘the Grave’ walks over to one that features a skull and crossbones marking, he says, the grave of a pirate. John who stands nearby disagrees explaining they are no more than reminders of death; anyone can have a skull and crossbones on their grave. In the churchyard of St Cuthbert’s Church in the village of Elsdon in Northumberland both John and Grundy ‘the Grave’ provide examples of other gravestone features including timers, broken pillars and draped urns, all warnings that your time may not be long. They talk about the faces often caved on stones which John believes are merely happy symbols of the dead flying off to eternal life. Over a montage of these stone faces John goes into details about the work that went into making them. As John walks through the graveyard of St Anne’s Church at Ancroft near Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, he reflects that yards like this contain a mixture of the touching and the touched, the common place and the bizarre. He comes to stand beside the gravestone making the spot where eight nuns are buried. He points out the name of the one person who isn’t buried there, the man who paid for the grave and who name is written in capital. Graves like this show a great deal of vanity he explains. In the graveyard of St Mary’s Church at Bolton-on-Swale in North Yorkshire John walks over a looks over the elaborate pyramid topped column marking the grave of Henry Jenkins who it is claimed to have lived to be 169. As he looks over the inscription, he provides details of Henry’s diet which is claimed to give him his longevity. Walking through the graveyard of the parish church of St Nicholas in the Newcastle suburb of Gosforth, John explains that inscriptions and epitaphs are amongst the great glories of churchyards, especially those of virgins and young women. He looks down and reads one epitaph which is both ludicrous and way over the top. Walking through the churchyard of St Mary’s in Masham John explains how epitaphs can also be entertaining and ‘packed full of wittily use jargon.’ He reads the stone of a late bellringer at the church. Sitting beside one gravestone for three beloved children who died of ‘fatal fever’ in 1833, John reflects that it is the graves of children that ‘catch you out.’ John reads the moving inscription over a montage of other child and infant graves both historic and contemporary. Over a final montage of gravestones in a variety of churchyards John admits he doesn’t know why people put up gravestones as they are expensive, and they don’t guarantee immortality. However, it is our most beautiful instincts to love people and to try and hold onto a little bit of that love forever, to say what it meant to have someone and then lose them. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Camera Mike Parker, John Hughes Sound Paul Graham Dubbing Mixer George Joisce Electrician Ron Angus, Ken Hird Costume Tom Robson Graphics Alan Davidson Title Music John Cook Production Assistant Eileen Brown On-line Editor Howard Beebe Director / Producer Roger Burgess End title: Tyne Tees Television © 1996