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Vault collapses in church graveyard after storm

Tony FisherBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
Steve Murphy A collapsed vault in a graveyard. There is orange safety netting round the edge. The slab is at an angle in the ground and the brickwork is visible.Steve Murphy
Former church warden Steve Murphy said this was the view that greeted people arriving for the Sunday service

Churchgoers arriving for a Sunday service were greeted with a collapsed vault in the graveyard.

The vault at St Mary's church in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, dates to 1753.

According to former churchwarden Steve Murphy, the vault collapsed during the recent storms following the drought.

The Archdeacon of Bedford Dave Middlebrook said the priority was "to ensure the safety of visitors and to treat this historic burial place with appropriate care and respect".

"The churchwardens acted quickly to alert colleagues in the Diocese, and the area has now been made safe," he said.

"We understand that the collapse of part of this vault in St Mary's churchyard will be concerning for local people and for those with connections to the churchyard."

Steve Murphy A collapsed vault with the crumbling bricks visible. The stone slab used to cover it has fallen into the collapsed vault.Steve Murphy
The current churchwarden Chris Swan said the vault was 10 sq ft and 8ft deep and was made of bricks "which are crumbling"

Current churchwarden Chris Swan, 72, said the "first half of it went down on 16 October and then on Sunday morning the rest of it caved in".

She said a neighbouring school had loaned fencing to secure the area.

"There are two or three coffins left in the bottom and there are two inscriptions on the stone slab covering it," she added.

"Whatever we do it is going to cost an absolute fortune [to repair]".

Tony Fisher A graveyard which is partially flooded with water. There is a path running alongside the graves which is also partially flooded. Trees and grass surround the graveyard.Tony Fisher
Churchwarden Chris Swan said the graveyard (pictured in 2024) was prone to flooding

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