Is it disrespectful to stroll around a cemetery?

[FuckConvoGiveMeAForest]

Only on the footpath obviously. Not visiting, just walking through it. The trees and birds etc... so peaceful. But is it wrong? I'm in two minds 🤔

Not disrespectful at all. Graveyards are lovely places to stroll around, when I was pregnant with DS I would walk through my nearest one quite often looking at the headstones for name ideas. Sometimes, especially around remembrance day and Christmas I go to the graveyard to think about the people who died, and lay a candle at the memorial stone for those buried elsewhere.

I was walking to DD's Christmas show at school earlier this week and was a bit early so visited the graveyard across the road from the school to look at how beautiful it looked in the snow. So peaceful.

It is absolutely fine. I am sure the dead would like to think the living are enjoying the peace and quiet. Leave no litter. Don't make a noise. N radios or phones going, Don't make phone calls. Leave no trace and don't go near people grieving and you should be fine.

No, not at all. Do you read the gravestones or are you just strolling through?

We often used to walk around the oldest parts of the cemetery, during visits to my relatives, and read the gravestones. The headstones are weathered and barely legible, and visitors ceased a long time ago, so I think it's nice to remember them still.

What a beautiful photo @Natsku

Not at all disrespectful, but dogs are often banned, even on a lead.

If you're near Stoke Newington in London, Abney Park Cemetery is beautiful, and featured in guidebooks.

One of the buildings is now some sort of educational centre and school parties go there. It's in the grand Victorian style and is an arboretum. Good place to walk and reflect.

Love cemeteries. Dont think I would mind when I am in one if people came for a stroll.

There’s a great book called Necropolis which is all about the history of graveyards in London. It’s really fascinating. But basically, most of them were designed for the living. So you can, and should, walk in them. And admire the graves.

I think you can control where dogs toilet . Mine has a wee as soon as we get there so we keep to a non grave area until he's done that. Then we walk through a clearly trodden grass path between graves (we walk single file !) and he might sniff a grave but I don't let him go onto one, nor do I let him sniff any graves from this century, and then he has a poo on the wild bit at the back where there are no graves anywhere near . His main vice is eating the long grass on the sides of the path . I tend to walk past people and just say hello if they're at a grave and so far everyone has wanted to chat, but I will detour in the future and make sure we don't walk near anyone, just in case there is someone who doesn't want us near.
It's a closed graveyard now I think.

Not at all disrespectful, as long as you don't have a barbecue or anything like that. Same for churches - so many rely on heritage lottery funding to stay open every day for visitors and LOVE when people just wander in and have a look around because it means they can fund the mother & baby groups or coffee mornings - because they have visitors.
My only plea is that if there is a visitor book, please, please, please sign it. It's such a boost to the churchwardens, and they use that as part of their funding bids. Don't be put off if you're an atheist or of a different religion - most churches are used these days by people of all faiths & none (I am an atheist for the record).

It had never occurred to me that entries in a visitors book might be relevant to things like funding bids. I'd always shunned them (as I thought it was a bit wanky) but will change my ways

No, not at all.
I take my dog to the place where my grandad rests. The whole place has only been going for 20 years, so most plots have visitors and items etc.
It is very peaceful, and a great place to pause and reflect.
At xmas, there is a lot of tat there. I saw a plot last year that had "Ho Ho Ho" on it.

Disrespectful is posing on grave stones and taking photos... am looking at people who go to Whitby Goth Weekend.

I always read the headstone and say hello.

Overthinking it.
I just think that no one actually gives a stuff about someone having a quiet walk through a graveyard.
Honestly, a purposeful quiet, peaceful walk, of course it’s fine!

Our local cemetery does guided tours. It’s absolutely fascinating. Groups of people walking around the graves learning about the people there.
Run by volunteers, raising funds for heritage projects, always completely booked up in advance.
It’s a non issue.

Of course not. Lovely places usually.

I'm actually really surprised at how many people like walking through cemeteries. I thought I was a ghoul! Of course I don't take pictures of headstones or do anything disrespectful. I do however look at their names and dates and wonder who they were etc. There's also a section for infants that's usually surrounded with windmills and chimes etc, it's very sad but very sacred ❤️

A peaceful walk with an under-control dog on a short lead? Not disrespectful at all.

The Necropolis in Glasgow is a must for anyone interested in the history of the city. The tours are amazing, so much information and not disrespectful in the slightest.

Brompton Cemetery in London is fascinating for a walk. I've also been around Nunhead and Highgate. If you ever find yourself in Buenos Aires, go to Recoleta cemetery. Total mausoleum madness.

My family are all buried at St Euny near Redruth - IIRC St Euny was the patron saint of miners and the church has some fascinating interpretation boards about the mining history of the church and the local area. I love going for a walk there, it's really peaceful but also on several walking routes which bring in visitors. Great views too. I'll always stop in a graveyard en route on walks - like a PP said, you can find out loads about local history. Also didn't know about signing the visitors' book in churches so will definitely do that from now on.

Not at all, if sticking to the paths. If I visit one I look for any war graves and stop to ponder and in a way pay my respects.

No way! I like walking around cemeteries (as part of a walk) and looking at the graves. I think it's actually respectful to think about those who have deceased.

I don't know why I still cringe to the core of my being when I sign a visitor book, but I do. Then I remind myself it might make the difference between the church being able to install a toilet & babychange facilities - and then write in a fake name

There is a findagrave body and one very kind person took a much better photo of my ancestor's grave in Jarrow (he was born in 1784) which I was able to upload it for ancestry /family tree purposes. I will always be grateful to that unknown person who saw the request and lived near by and took the better photo.

There's one near my office that everyone uses for lunchtime walks/runs, never occurred to me not to. I stick to the paths and stay away from the building if a service is happening, but otherwise don't see any issue.

The inscriptions on headstones are about memory, the people who erected them wanted to be seen and read in perpetuity. Ditto with knobs on the elaborate Victorian edifices at Kensal Green et all!