North Leverton St Martin

Churchyard

The churchyard in 1886.
© Crown Copyright and
Database Right 2016.
Ordnance Survey
(Digimap Licence)

The churchyard, according to earlier terriers measured 3 roods and 16 perches before its extension. It is now rectangular in shape with the church offset to the west side, and is entered by a bridge over 'The Beck.' Originally it appears to have been square in shape with the church roughly centrally placed.

It contains the War Graves marker of Private Fred Sharpe whose body was returned to his village after the money was raised by public subscription. He had emigrated to Canada but returned on the outbreak of war, as did many young men from Great Britain. He was recruited to the 78th Canadian Infantry Battalion which was recruited and mobilized in Winnipeg, August 1915. The battalion left Halifax on the 'Empress of Britain' in May 1916 and arrived in France on 12th August 1916. He died in January 1917 aged 26.

On the Roll of Honour in the church another Sharpe of the 'CEF' who survived is listed along with two other Sharpes in British regiments.

Two vicars, Henry Ives Bailey and Roy Wagstaff are buried in the churchyard.

A faculty was granted in 1957 for the consecration and enlarging of the churchyard and for further levelling in 1967. The section marked 'Garden of Rememberance' was sanctioned by a faculty in 1987. It is a small grassed area delineated by a stone border on the south side of the tower. It is now a large area adjoining private land which is kept as a grassed area. To the north side is a lane and here the hedge has a gap. The old vicarage, replaced in the mid 19th century, lay in this direction. The area is mostly grassed and has some fine mature trees, especially to the south.