A BROMSBERROW resident travelled 500 miles to help restore the grave of one of the most influential Victorian writers.
Jan Long made the long trip to Ecclefechan in Scotland, the birthplace of Thomas Carlyle, and said she was dismayed to see his grave ‘completely neglected’.
So Jan wrote to Mary Hollern, of the Ecclefechan Carlyle Society, and asked if work could be done to the area and after permission was granted the task began.
Grass was cut and mowed inside the fenced Carlyle memorial to make it more accessible, nettles and weeds were removed and overgrown ivy was taken from the top of the headstone.
The work was part of an overall project to clear the whole cemetery and produce a ‘Who’s Who?’ guide for visitors to the Ecclefechan Kirkyard.
Jan said: “It has been a real labour of love to restore these graves and I hope the work can continue.
“Many great historical figures in our country are forgotten an the way to learn about them and their massive contribution to our society is to visit sites such as the Ecclefechan graveyard with its numerous, and yet, untold stories.”
