North Wheatley
St Peter and St Paul

Churchyard

The small churchyard was closed for burials in 1879. A small area for cremated remains lies beneath the west window.

The churchyard, which is roughly rectangular, is surrounded on the west, south and part of the east by a stone wall, the rest of the east by a fence, and on the north by a ha-ha into the Old Rectory garden. The churchyard is a level piece of ground reaching almost to the top of the wall with an eight foot drop to the road on three sides.

The memorials are situated on the south and west aspects, with only one on the north side. There about 57 memorials the majority laid flat with two table tombs on the south side, The oldest memorial  is dated 1701:

In memory of John Kidney son of George and Mary Kidney who was drowned the 3rd day of Jan. 1701 aged 35 years

The two memorials on each side are also in memory of the Kidney family.

The remaining memorials are mainly 19th century with several to prominent Wheatley families: Sherratt, Bingham, Ogle; the majority laid flat. The churchyard has two gated entrances, one on the south side with stone steps from the road leading to the south door; the other to the west is a level double-gated entry.

In 1999 a Faculty was approved for the installation of floodlights in the churchyard. This was a gift by Mr R Smith in memory of his wife Fiona Smith who died on 5 April 1999. The work was done by Mr R Smith and Mr A Barker.