THE skilled work of local masons is being slowly eroded as carved headstones in Forest and Severnside churchyards fall victims to the march of time.

The natural act of weathering and, probably, an element of pollution is taking its toll says Dr Nicholas Herbert, who was the county editor of the Victoria History of Gloucestershire from 1970 until 2003.

Dr Herbert will be making a return to the Forest this Saturday (November 11) when he addresses members of the Forest of Dean Local History Society at the West Dean Centre, Bream starting at 3pm, on carved headstones in the west of Gloucestershire.

While recently updating photographs in local churchyards, Dr Herbert says he was surprised to find that in a period spanning just over 20 or 30 years, many had badly deteriorated.

His talk will trace the development of various styles of stones and the use made of popular religious and secular symbolism.

He says that in what might be termed the ‘folk-art’ period of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, headstones in the lower Severnside and Forest of Dean areas were often very local, only occurring within small groups of adjoining parishes.

But in the later Georgian period headstones reflected the wider influences of the rococo and neo-classical styles and there were examples of some fine workmanship showing strong regional identity.

Though very few headstones were signed the work of some particular masons will be highlighted.