AMID the hustle and bustle of Bury’s newly-opened £350 million Rock development, there is a quiet oasis of tranquillity which offers a poignant link to the past.

Sadly, however, many visitors enjoying a frenetic shopping expedition will unwittingly bypass what is a fascinating piece of history.

For the old and the new come together within yards of each other.

Close to the entrance of the Marks and Spencer store, there is a newly-created landscaped garden area containing 14 gravestones dating back to 1770.

Because they lie flat, they are not easily seen. But with surrounding benches offering some respite from retail therapy, visitors can look upon these relics from the past.

The landscaped area is known as The Rock St John’s Gardens on the site of St John’s Church, which was knocked down in 1964 and moved to a new site. St John’s is believed to be Bury’s second oldest church, pre-dated only by Bury Parish Church.

The 14 gravestones previously formed paving in front of the then Minden Family GP practice which was relocated within the new Moorgate PCT building in Derby Way.

Some of the gravestones were lost under the car park that was there before the Rock development took shape. But the exposed gravestones were taken up, stored, cleaned and then relaid among the landscaping.

Visitors to the gardens can now browse around the 14 gravestones and read the inscriptions. Some of the memorials relate to several family members who were buried together in the same plots. Sadly, many record the deaths of youngsters.

One of the more curious gravestones has a skull and crossbones feature. In this case, it seems the skull and crossbones does not have any sinister piracy theme but is thought to relate either to the Freemasons or Knights Templar. At that time, the skull and crossbones sign was a common symbol of death.

Other gravestones relate to a Samuel Butterworth, “innkeeper of Bury”, who died on January 2, 1847, and also to a Joseph Warren, who tragically “drowned while bathing, July 13, 1843, aged 13”.

Mr David Laycock, centre director at The Rock, said: “We’ve had really good feedback about these gravestones. People are fascinated that we have collectively respected and celebrated the past while embracing the future.”