Barnsley
DEARNE MEMORIAL GROUP,
THURNSCOE
Peter
Shields, 21 Whinside Crescent, Thurnscoe,Barnsley
S63 0PL e-mail
FRIENDS
OF WOMBWELL CEMETERY
Mike
Bretton, 15 Windmill Road, Wombwell,Barnsley
S63 0PL
Bath
FRIENDS
OF ST MARY’S CEMETERY Bathwick
This Churchyard was opened in 1809. Its Mortuary Chapel, now a ruin, was designed by John Pinch and built in 1818 of materials salvaged from the demolition of the old 12th Century Parish Church of St Mary's Bathwick, which stood nearby.
Originally the chapel was used for both funerals and baptisms until the new parish church was consecrated in 1820. In 1856 this churchyard was closed to new burials and these then took place in the St Mary the Virgin Churchyard which opened in the same year at Smallcombe Vale.
Bedford
FRIENDS
OF BEDFORD CEMETERY Foster Hill Road
Margaret Carpenter, 4 Harrington Drive,Bedford MK41 8DB (01234 360003)
e-mail website
Bedford's first municipal cemetery was opened in June 1855. The chosen site of 18 acres of farmland (later enlarged to 37 acres), situated on rising ground known as Foster's Hill north of the town centre, was bought for the town by James Wyatt (1816-78) in his capacity as Borough treasurer. As Editor of the Bedford Times, which he founded in 1845, he spent several years campaigning for a cemetery for Bedford. Sadly, one of the first to be buried in the new cemetery was his eldest son Otho, who died in July 1855 aged 10. The Wyatt Tomb enclosure contains a variety of memorials to family members buried between 1855 and 1988.
Birkenhead
John
Moffat, 76 St John’s Road, Eastham, Wirral CH62 0BW (Tel and fax: 0151 512 3676) e-mail
The cemetery was officially opened 30th May 1864 and named Birkenhead Cemetery. Three Chaples were provided. The Roman Catholic Chapel was demolished in 1971 and a Memorial Wall erected on its site. The two other Chapels for the Non-conformists and the Church of England were last used in 1975. The Registrar's office and Sexton's Lodge are now in private hands.
Birmingham
FRIENDS
OF BRANDWOOD END CEMETERY, KINGS HEATH
Anne
Courbet, 146 Broad Lane, Kings Heath,Birmingham
B14 5AU e-mail
website
On 13 April 1899 George Tallis, Chairman of the Cemetery Committee, opened Brandwood End Cemetery, which was administered by Kings Norton Rural District Council. With the extension of Birmingham’s boundaries in 1911, the cemetery came under the administration of the Birmingham City Corporation. The cemetery was gradually extended over the years and is now some 53 acres, 2 of which were sold in 1919 to the Jewish Community.
FRIENDS
OF KEY HILL AND WARSTONE LANE CEMETERIES
Richard Beardall, 54 Crowngate Apartments, Great Hampton Street, Hockley,
Birmingham B18 6EN (0793 1167655)
The listing of Key Hill Cemetery on the National Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Interest has been raised from Grade II to Grade II* with effect from 30th November 2010. The new category designates it as ‘a particularly important site of more than special interest.’ This is very welcome news as it considerably increases protection for the cemetery ensuring that it and the immediate surrounding area is properly preserved.
Blackpool
FRIENDS OF LAYTON CEMETERY
Sylmay Eaves, 34 Linfield Terrace, Blackpool FY4 3PR
Inaugurated towards the end of 2003, the Friends of Layton Cemetery are a group of volunteers dedicated to the cemetery's preservation, which is of great historical importance. Due to the Cosmopolitan make up of the town of Blackpool there are a great many 'strays' buried in our churchyards and cemeteries. By the 19th century people from the industrial working classes of Lancashire and Yorkshire began to flock to Blackpool when it began to develop rapidly as a major tourist resort, whilst those who could afford it were eager to rent or buy property in the up and coming town.
Bolton
FRIENDS OF HEATON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM
Norma Armston, 1 Kilbride Avenue, Bolton BL2 6UQ
Guided walks and talks are available upon request.
Bridgwater
FRIENDS OF WEMBDON ROAD CEMETERY
Bernice Lashbrook, 29 Biddiscombe Close, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 6TA6 6TA6 6 (01278 459 659)
e-mail
A conservation and geneological group for the closed burial ground of the Wembdon Road Cemetery, Bridgwater.
Bristol
FRIENDS OF ARNOS VALE CEMETERY
Stephen Barrow, 68 Cairns Road, Westbury Park,
Bristol BS6 7TH (0117 924 0653)
e-mail
The cemetery is managed by Arnos Vale
Cemetery Trust under a licence granted by Bristol City Council. The Friends
continue to support the Trust by way of fundraising and volunteering.
Opened in 1839, the cemetery now extends over 45 acres and was designed in the
style of a Greek necropolis. There are two Doric lodges, two chapels Ionic and
Corinthian plus 25 Grade II Listed memorials.
The Friends came into formation from the Association for the Preservation of
Arnos Vale Cemetery in 1987. A very unco-operative owner neglected the cemetery
and was envisaging a major unsuitable development of the site but after several
years the matter was brought to a head when Bristol City Council made a compulsory
purchase order and appointed the Trust to manage the cemetery.
The cremation and burial records are now available for family research and can
be accessed via the Trust office. There are over 50,000 graves and 150,000
burials, together with a further 120,000 cremation records
The cemetery featured in the first series of Restoration the BBC TV programme
and whilst not coming first in the viewers' voting, the programme resulted in a
lot of interest and sympathy for the Trust and the Friends. A substantial HLF
award, supported by fundraising and match funding assisted by the Friends has
enabled the Trust to restore the buildings, some of the listed monuments and
some of the landscaped areas and paths. The facilities are now being used as
staff offices, an education centre and a flexible space for a variety of public
uses. There are also interpretation displays, a cafe and shop
FRIENDS OF HEBRON BURIAL GROUND BEDMINSTER
Mike Meechem, 13 Paulton Drive, Bristol BS7 8JJ (0117 9443284 )
The Friends of Hebron Burial ground group was set up in October 2002 to prevent inappropriate development of the burial ground, following the conversion of Hebron Methodist Church into residential accommodation. The burial ground has been left in a neglected state by the owners for a number of years, contrary to the restrictive covenants of the land registration. A number of the Friends and others who have relatives buried on the site were not prepared sit back and let developers ruin the site for future generations.
FRIENDS OF BROOKWOOD CEMETERY
Mr G Barnaby Tamarda, Blacksmith Lane, Chilworth, Guildford, Surrey GU4 8NF (01483 566012)
The Brookwood Cemetery was opened in November 1854, and was the largest in the world. It was originally called the London Necropolis or Woking Cemetery. Although it lies outside the London area, it was the place of burial for thousands of Londoners. The cemetery is still privately owned and trades as Brookwood Cemetery Limited..
Buckingham
FRIENDS OF BUCKINGHAM CEMETERY website
Tony Webster, 10 March Edge, Buckingham MK18 7BP
The Friends of Buckingham Cemetery work to bring public awareness of the site and to return it to a valuable and attractive place.
Cambridge
FRIENDS OF HISTON ROAD CEMETERY website
Michael French, 30 Searle Street, Cambridge CB4 3DB
The Friends of Histon Road Cemetery was set up by a group of local residents who were increasingly concerned by the deteriorating environment and misuse of the site. The group was established in 2006 and has since worked closely with the local community and Cambridge City Council. A development plan is now being implemented to improve the site whilst preserving its historical integrity. Regular gardening volunteers have made enormous improvements.
FRIENDS OF MILL ROAD CEMETERY website
Helen Stearn, 61 De Freville Avenue,
Cambridge CB4 1HW (01223 360469)
The cemetery is consecrated ground, consisting of parish burial grounds. The land is held in trust by the Trustees, and maintained by the City Council in collaboration with the Friends of Mill Road Cemetery.
FRIENDS OF THE PARISH OF THE ASCENSION BURIAL GROUND
Mike Good, 11 Windsor Road, Cambridge CB4 3JJ
The one and a half acres of the burial ground were established in 1857 when extra burial space was needed as the city of Cambridge expanded in Victorian times. The first burial there was in 1869. Today some 2,500 people of every religious denomination and none are buried in 1,500 plots. Many city and university dignitaries, scientists and scholars are buried there including Nobel prize winners. Perhaps one of the burial ground’s most famous graves is that of Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (1899-1951).
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