This is a beautifully carved wooden grave catching the last of the evening sun rays – at All Saints, Carshalton.

🗝 The words ‘Peace Perfect Peace’ were carved into the hardwearing English Oak in 1922.

The memorial is for Dr Albert Victor Peatling, who was the local GP. He was born in Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, and later came to love Carshalton:

🗝 He was a keen historian and illustrator and he has images held at the V&A museum in London, such as a diagram he drew of All Saints before the church building was extended.

🗝 In 1920, he became a founding member of the Beddington, Carshalton & Wallington Archaeological Society. A local group still going strong today.

🗝 Albert died in 1922 of complications from acute Appendicitus, at the age of 53

🗝 He was the son in law of Samuel Barrow, who lived at The Grove. The grave is situated on land Samuel had given to the church just 7 years earlier.

Some facts with thanks to CORA.