Britain’s crumbling cemeteries

This historian says some of the graves in this cemetery near Heathrow are in poor shape. This cemetery sprawls over 32 acres and was created in Victorian times as a burial ground with a difference. The difference is due to an American influence, says the caretaker of the cemetery. But this cemetery is very different, and is unkempt and not well taken care of. Cemeteries in the Victorian times were for honoring family ties and showing off your social standing. But this English historian says that’s a thing of the past. To some it is atmospheric. But some of the headstones are so weather-worn, the inscriptions can’t even be read. This historian wants to see the cemeteries preserved because of their significance to British history. There may be as many as 150,000 people buried at this cemetery. The historian wants to believe the government and public are starting to believe what’s at stake if the cemeteries are to be lost. But he’s not confident that things will move fast enough to preserve the cemeteries.