EVERY cemetery holds a treasury of tales about long careers, heroic conduct and unusual accidents.

Some of those “Stories Behind the Stones” at Barrow and Dalton cemetery will be revealed by Rod White during three guided walks next month.

The first is from 2pm on Sunday, August 13 and walkers should meet at the Cemetery Hill entrance to Barrow cemetery, on Devonshire Road.

This walk will combine information from previous walks, together with new information for 2017.

There should be no need to wander off the main path on this walk, so it is suitable for everybody.

On Sunday, August 20, there is another 2pm start from the same meeting place to look at the stories behind some of the Barrow graves relating to the First World War.

This walk was first researched for 2014, to mark a century since the start of the war.

Some of the graves are off the main cemetery tracks and strong ankles are needed.

The Dalton cemetery walk is from 6pm on Wednesday, August 16 and people wanting to take part should meet at the South Chapel, by the car park.

This walk was first held in 2015 and keeps mostly to the main cemetery paths.

All the walks are free and any donations will be passed to SAFA Cumbria - Self-Harm Awareness for All Cumbria.

Strong footwear and weather-appropriate clothing is recommended and walks may be cancelled if weather is too inclement.

Barrow cemetery has more than 100 First World War headstones, plus service people mentioned on traditional headstones but buried overseas.

Most of those at Barrow died from illness, wounds or from the effects of gas, or even from accidents of various kinds while undergoing military training.

Among them is Corporal Gilbert Fell, 25, of the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, who was knocked down and killed by the Southport to Liverpool after an evening visit to a Wesleyan club for soldiers.

Dalton cemetery has headstones to people who died in road, rail and mine accidents and even to a hero of the First World War who died in an IRA ambush in 1921.

Dalton’s cemetery opened in 1862 and for 11 years remained the place for Barrow

burials.

After that, some people from places such as Barrow and Roose still chose to be buried at Dalton – possibly because they had purchased family plots.

The cemetery includes two giants of the Furness building industry – William Gradwell and James Garden.