Heaton Graveyard is situated right at the centre of the village, accessed from Highgate. It was owned by Heaton Baptist Chapel, dates back to 1824 and was used for burials right up until 2007. It's not very big (one acre) but there are at least 8630 people recorded as interred there, in 1100 graves that range from those with simple gravestones to very grand Victorian monuments. There are also several thousand paupers and their children buried there in unmarked communal graves, with no records kept.
Like many similar small cemeteries, the graveyard fell into disrepair and became overgrown. In 2003, a group of volunteers decided to tidy it up and they have over the years returned it to a beautiful, peaceful place of rest and remembrance, a haven of flowers and wildlife. It really is a little jewel.
Always so sad to see graveyards fall into a sorry state. This just goes to show how things can be.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see the wild-flowers, it would be great to see more of this and hopefully the idea of wild-flower meadows will take off. There aren't as many of these, or skylarks, as when I was a young lad - shame.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful flowers.
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