Whalley Churchyard - Stone Coffin

Whalley Churchyard - Stone Coffin
Whalley Churchyard - Stone Coffin
Whalley Churchyard - Stone Coffin
267701
ECL20131029002
Whalley Churchyard - Stone Coffin
Whalley
The Church of St. Mary and All Saints, sometimes called Whalley Parish Church, is one of the oldest in Lancashire. This image is of one of the two stone coffins, both without lids, currently in the Churchyard and set beside the Church building. Little is known of their date or origin but it is believed they are Medieval, probably of the Norman period or slightly later. Generally, the use of stone coffins appears to be principally associated with the burial of senior monks so it is possible that this one was transported to the church for some unknown reason from the neighbouring Cistercian Abbey of Whalley. However, the monks from Whalley Abbey were the incumbent priests in the church between 1348 and 1527 so it is judged possible that these stone coffins were once the resting places of monks serving as parish priests.

To put this into context, the church was founded in 628 AD with further rebuilding in the 8th Century, Norman additions from c. 1080 AD and (perhaps after a disastrous fire) the current iteration of the church was built from around 1200 AD. The church was tied to Whalley Abbey and was the centre of the largest Parish in Lancashire and the second largest in England. A rich legacy of historical artefacts is the result, including these stone coffins.
Photographic print
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