BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Graveyard Questions

**Posted by The Doctor** September 12, 2012 12:45 pm

Harriet wrote:
Sherlock Holmes wrote:
It is too soon after the fall to make his return, because it's probably only been a couple of months.
What makes you think it's been only a couple of months?

Becasue the grave is not fresh but also not settled quite enough yet; plus, John's timeline with the therapist offers further hints..

**Posted by Harriet** September 12, 2012 10:28 pm

For the latter, agree, and this is probably what counts most.
To put a stone like that on a not settled grave is nonsense, but probably they didn't think about it ... after all, it has to last for how long only?

**Posted by Davina** September 13, 2012 7:36 am

To save you all the legwork here is some further information about the headstone and the cemetary.

The cemetary is:
St. Woolos Cemetary
Bassaleg Road
Newport
Gwent NP20 3PY
Wales

Sherlockology website has a couple of photos.

The following link (already posted in the props thread) has a photo and information about the headstone itself. The headstone is the final photo.
www.radiotimes.com/photos/2012-01-24/photo-gallery-sherlock-props

I really hope we don't start getting spam from undertakers/memorial masons etc.

Last edited by Davina (September 13, 2012 7:37 am)

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** September 15, 2012 10:18 am

Harriet wrote:
For the latter, agree, and this is probably what counts most.
To put a stone like that on a not settled grave is nonsense, but probably they didn't think about it ... after all, it has to last for how long only?

In the shot at the graveside, you can see the difference between the state of the grass. Immediately in front of the headstone, where they would have done the digging, it's slightly brown with only a small amount of grass growing through, whereas the grass around it is just normal healthy green grass.

Having worked in a church for two years and dealt with a number of burials, i can confirm it would be fine for them to lay the headstone with the ground in that current state.

And actually, that's given me a sudden thought as to why they would all be in the graveyard that day. What if the headstone had only just been put in, like the day before for example. It would make total sense for them to go and see it, and Mycroft would probably let Sherlock know it was up, which was why he was there.

**Posted by kazza474** September 15, 2012 10:21 am

Boss, I will do research on that one.
Will get that scene and study it for any signs of a sticky patch on the stone work ......

or a price tag.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** September 15, 2012 10:21 am

By the way, that props article is really interesting Davina - you should post a link in the Sherlock props section, if you haven't done so already.

**Posted by Harriet** September 15, 2012 1:04 pm

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
Having worked in a church for two years and dealt with a number of burials, i can confirm it would be fine for them to lay the headstone with the ground in that current state.

Well, I know several undertakers and they told me that when a coffin finally collapses, the earth will be sink in, and it can cause the stone to fall down or change its position in an unwanted way. What if there's heavy rain coming up for a couple of weeks?
So it would be safer to wait until this natural process of the coffin's decay has been completed which takes about a year, they said.

Goodness, can't believe we discuss these details

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
And actually, that's given me a sudden thought as to why they would all be in the graveyard that day. What if the headstone had only just been put in, like the day before for example. It would make total sense for them to go and see it, and Mycroft would probably let Sherlock know it was up, which was why he was there.

Great idea!

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** September 16, 2012 9:20 am

Haha, that might be why we always have collapsing headstones in our graveyard.

**Posted by Harriet** September 16, 2012 3:58 pm

I'm not kidding. On our local graveyard for all 2012, no single "coffin" grave has a stone yet. Most of them aren't even yet prepared to get one soon - you can tell by the still missing framework and foundation.
Anyway, no need to pursue this, if you have other experience and expertise in your place.
Peace?

Last edited by Harriet (September 16, 2012 4:02 pm)

**Posted by Wholocked** September 17, 2012 3:10 am

Wow. There is a lot of overthinking going on in this thread. Don't forget that they do some things just for dramatic reasons.

**Posted by kazza474** September 17, 2012 3:15 am

Wholocked wrote:
Wow. There is a lot of overthinking going on in this thread. Don't forget that they do some things just for dramatic reasons.

*giggles*
Put your hard hat on! Incoming!

**Posted by The Doctor** September 17, 2012 9:01 am

Well, I know several undertakers and they told me that when a coffin finally collapses, the earth will be sink in, and it can cause the stone to fall down or change its position in an unwanted way.

Very true; however, modern coffins take ages to break down and few people are willing to wait for a few years before putting up a headstone. An obvious attempt to deal with the challenge is to locate the stone not directly above the coffin itself. Still, eventually the ground will sink in a bit though this is usually corrected by adding filling material and landscaping.

It would make so much more sense to simply wrap people in a burial cloth!

And yes, this thread is showing signs of overthinking.

**Posted by besleybean** October 6, 2012 8:08 pm

Oh I don't believe we can ever over think!

**Posted by Imogene Tilden** October 24, 2012 6:24 pm

Interesting tidbit over on Sherlockology in the Case Book review... " a nice exception is a close look at Sherlock's headstone from The Reichenbach Fall, which confirms his Birthday as January 6th." Hmm...

**Posted by besleybean** October 24, 2012 6:26 pm

Really? I thought it just had his name.

**Posted by Imogene Tilden** October 24, 2012 6:32 pm

besleybean wrote:
Really? I thought it just had his name.

The one we saw in the episode DID only have his name...

**Posted by veecee** October 24, 2012 10:50 pm

besleybean wrote:
Oh I don't believe we can ever over think!

Us? Overthink?

**Posted by Sam** October 25, 2012 8:15 pm

Imogene Tilden wrote:
besleybean wrote:
Really? I thought it just had his name.
The one we saw in the episode DID only have his name...

Yes, I wonder what they are talking about then. I guess his birth date is written in the casebook, not necessarily on the grave stone.

**Posted by sherlockian111** January 23, 2013 12:26 am

Why would Sherlock go to his funeral (or visit his gravestone or whatever)? I really cannot think of a reason why, I mean, if he wanted to see John there would've been plenty of other times to see him from a distance. And I'm pretty sure John says "I can't go back to the flat at the moment", which made me think that only a short amount of time had passed. I also thought it was a bit strange that Molly wasn't there, but perhaps it was best to play it safe

**Posted by sherlockian111** January 23, 2013 12:31 am

They might have done gravestone just saying Sherlock Holmes, for dramatic effect