Grave memorial, Great Orme cemetery, Llandudno, Conwy, North Wales, UK

            As the title says, this is in the municipal cemetery in a spectacularly scenic location on the Great Orme, rather than in the adjacent churchyard of St Tudno's church. Laid-out in 1859 (or 1903? Sources seem confused, and I certainly am), I was going to say the cemetery contains fine examples of slightly excessive Victorian memorial sculpture, but these are from the 20th Century.

The kneeling angel commemorates John William Flohr (d.1927, aged 38) and his wife Winifred (d. 1956).

The stone to the left, depicting dolphins on wave, is obviously a more recent design. It marks the grave of Joan Bradley of Oulton, Staffordshire (1922-95) and her husband Donald (1913-2004).

The tall cross to the right is in memory of Charles William Bradley (1871 - 1931) of Stoke on Trent and his wife Mary Emily, died 1945 aged 67.  That inscription also mentions their sole daughter Inez (1905-80) and son Stanley Clive (1908-1988) - are those birth dates compatible with Donald (b.1913) being a sibling?

I have a separate photo and explanation of the winged wheel in the background, but in short, it commemorates Beatrice ('Bee') Blore-Browne (1887-1921), the first woman to drive a car up the steep Great Orme, in 1914.

The Great Orme (Cyngreawdr Fynydd) is the limestone headland at the tip of the Creuddyn Peninsula, on the northern side of the River Conwy's mouth, though it's usually defined as overlooking the Victorian seaside town of Llandudno.

Its English name derives from the Old Norse word 'urm' or 'orm' ('sea serpent') and may have referred to the appearence of the entire bay from offshore, with the Little Orme as the tail (or an arc of body rising from the sea?) and Great Orme's Head being, indeed, the great wyrm's head.

I'm sceptical.
I've seen the North Wales coast from the horizon, by travelling on the Liverpool–Dublin ferry, and the Great Orme doesn't especially stand out from the silhouetted peaks of Snowdonia inland or near-neighbouring island of Anglesey.

It's telling that 'Orme' only entered common usage with the development of Llandudno as a resort in the Victorian era – previously the headland was 'Pen y Gogarth' and the English name was only applied to the northern cliffs as seen from approaching ships. I suspect that a quaint story of 'vikings' was invented/embelished for tourists arriving from Liverpool.

Taken in: UK / Wales / Llandudno / Llandudno (show map)

Taken on: March 29, 2014

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Sets appears in: • Conwy & Llandudno

Groups appears in: • Graves, Tombs And Cemeteries • Sculpture more » • Angels-just plain angels • Statues and Sculptures. • North Wales, UK • Graveyards • Public Sculpture (UK) • Llandudno • North Wales • Sir CONWY County • Stone Angels • The Great Orme • Archangels and angels • UK Graves and Graveyards « less

Camera: Canon EOS 60D, f/7.1, 1/160 sec, 57mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 60D
Lens:	EF-S15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	57mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
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