Red Bricks Under Graves, What Happened In This Cemetary!!

Whilst walking to Whalley Abbey i passed this Church which was found in the 7th century, some of the graves had to have been lifted at some point why i don't know? as they were sat on red brick even a support wall with mortar under the 2nd one? also the graves with rubble and concrete flags thrown in looked like they had been excavated and back filled with a load of crap to hide the hole!! and imagine carving a stone coffin 100's of yrs ago with primative tools?

The Church of St Mary and All Saints is an Anglican church in the village of Whalley, Lancashire, England. It is an active parish church in the Diocese of Blackburn. A church probably existed on the site in Anglo-Saxon times and the current building dates from the 13th century. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.

A church probably existed on this site in Anglo-Saxon times; there are three well-preserved Anglo-Saxon crosses in the churchyard, as well as fragments from that time in the exterior walls of the current building. The crosses are protected as Scheduled Monuments. The "Church of St Mary held in Wallei" was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. Its endowment of “two carucates of land free of all custom” suggests that the church was among the wealthiest in what would become Lancashire. Most of the present church was built in the 13th century, replacing a simpler structure which likely had an aisleless nave and chancel. The tower was added in the late 15th century. A porch was added to the south of the building in 1844, and one to the north in 1909. Restorations took place in 1866 and 1868.

The organ, dating from 1727, was originally built for Lancaster Priory. It was purchased in 1813 at a cost of three hundred guineas (equivalent to £30,000 as of 2023).

The churchyard has three stone Anglo-Saxon crosses, probably dating from the 10th or 11th century. There is a sundial east of the church which is listed at Grade II. It dates from 1757.

The east window is in a perpendicular style and dates from the 15th century. The painted glass inserted in 1816, recalls people and families associated with the church over it's long history. It has 5 rows of family shields for which most of the subscribers paid £8 each, the cost of the window being £276.

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