thanks slowhands didn't see that. cathy

I've changed this posting since checking some dates and facts... I've done an Internet search on this and found that only those of the C of E faith were allowed to be buried in consecrated ground until the early 1800s. Anyone of any other denomination, or of no faith at all, were not allowed to be buried in consecrated ground.
The Forest of Dean has a history of people being non-conformists. e.g. the R.C. population was one of the largest in England; but also Methodists, Bible Christians and other non-conformists were strong in the area too.
Though they were not buried in ground consecrated by an Anglican Bishop the Anglican cemeteries/churchyards usually had sections for burials for non-conformists. So though documents may say that they were buried in unconsecrated ground it may not mean they were buried anywhere other than the village, town or district's churchyard.
It is only when it became legal to be of an alternative faith that people set up churches, chapels, synogogues and meeting houses etc and buried their dead in separate grave yards attached to them.
The other thing to note is that graves were not always marked by a stone (though these can usually be located) and that many stones have been removed in some areas of the country. Paupers would be buried in unmarked graves and there is evidence that where there were epidemics (e.g. cholera epidemics etc) people have been buried in mass graves too.
There is a graveyard in the city where I live where the graves were laid flat down in the 1960s and cars were, and still are, allowed to drive over them and park on them. Consequently the inscriptions have worn away which I feel is very bad practice.
Last time I went in Coleford's burial ground would be in 1973 when it appeared to be unspoilt but I don't know what state it's in today.