Welford Road Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Welford Road Cemetery is a public cemetery
in Leicester
.
The Leicester General Cemetery Company was founded in 1845, and the cemetery itself opened in 1849. The buildings and plan of the cemetery were designed by J. R. Hamilton and J. M. Medland, who also designed cemeteries for Birmingham
and Plymouth
. Welford Road Cemetery was initially intended for dissenters, but the local Anglican community was able to gain inclusion. The site was initially 17 acres (6.9 ha) in size, but was extended by 13 acres (5.3 ha) in 1894.
The original parts of the cemetery were built to a symmetrical plan. Two adjacent chapels were built, serving both Anglicans and non-Anglicans. Similarly, the original cemetery contained roughly equal areas of consecrated and unconsecrated ground.
The two chapels have now been demolished, as has a gothic
lodge near the main entrance. The gardener's lodge survives as the University of Leicester
chaplaincy, and the 1895 ornate entrance gates are still in place. A modern visitor's centre is located near the cemetery's main entrance.
The cemetery contains several war graves, and has a war memorial which includes a statue designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
identifies one hundred notable burials within the cemetery. The cemetery itself contains a large number of commemorative plaques, giving biographical information about notable interments.
to authorise this in the consecrated ground, the council applied for a faculty retrospectively, although they were opposed in this by relatives of 119 Polish descendants whose relatives' memorials had been laid flat. At first the Consistory Court
rejected the Council's application, but this was subsequently granted on appeal to the Court of Arches in 2006. However, in granting the faculty the Court required the Council to work with the Friends of Welford Rd Cemetery and members of the local Polish community to restore those flattened memorials.
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
.
The Leicester General Cemetery Company was founded in 1845, and the cemetery itself opened in 1849. The buildings and plan of the cemetery were designed by J. R. Hamilton and J. M. Medland, who also designed cemeteries for Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. Welford Road Cemetery was initially intended for dissenters, but the local Anglican community was able to gain inclusion. The site was initially 17 acres (6.9 ha) in size, but was extended by 13 acres (5.3 ha) in 1894.
The original parts of the cemetery were built to a symmetrical plan. Two adjacent chapels were built, serving both Anglicans and non-Anglicans. Similarly, the original cemetery contained roughly equal areas of consecrated and unconsecrated ground.
The two chapels have now been demolished, as has a gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
lodge near the main entrance. The gardener's lodge survives as the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
chaplaincy, and the 1895 ornate entrance gates are still in place. A modern visitor's centre is located near the cemetery's main entrance.
The cemetery contains several war graves, and has a war memorial which includes a statue designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.
Notable burials
A leaflet published by Leicester City CouncilLeicester City Council
Leicester City Council is a unitary authority responsible for local government in the city of Leicester, England. It consists of 54 councillors, representing 22 wards in the city, overseen by a directly elected mayor. It is currently controlled by the Labour Party and has been led by Mayor Sir...
identifies one hundred notable burials within the cemetery. The cemetery itself contains a large number of commemorative plaques, giving biographical information about notable interments.
- Ewart AstillEwart AstillEwart Astill was, along with George Geary, the mainstay of the Leicestershire team from 1922 to about 1935. He played in nine Test matches but was never picked for a home Test or for the Ashes tour...
– cricketer, playing for Leicestershire County Cricket ClubLeicestershire County Cricket ClubLeicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland.... - Thomas CookThomas CookThomas Cook of Melbourne, Derbyshire, England founded the travel agency that is now Thomas Cook Group.- Early days :...
– early travel agent and founder of the Thomas Cook GroupThomas Cook GroupThomas Cook Group plc is a travel company created on 19 June, 2007 by the merger of Thomas Cook AG and MyTravel Group plc. At flotation on the London Stock Exchange 52% of the shares in the new company were held by the German mail order and department store corporation Arcandor and 48% owned by... - John Flower (artist)John Flower (artist)John Flower was an English landscape and architectural artist known to locals as "the Leicester artist".Flower was born in Leicester, the son of John Flower, a wool comber, and his wife Mary, whose family had for generations owned the Castle Mill on the River Soar...
(1793–1861) - William Green – soldier in the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
- Bert HarrisBert HarrisAlbert Bert Walter Allen Harris was a professional racing cyclist. He was raised in Leicester and attended Holy Trinity School...
– professional cyclist - Arthur WakerleyArthur WakerleyArthur Wakerley was a British architect. Born in Melton Mowbray, he was articled to James Bird. He was a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and sometime President of the Leicester Society of Architects...
– architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Legal battles over flattened headstones
Between 2002 and 2004 about 1000 memorials and headstones were laid flat after Leicester City Council 'topple-tested' them for stability. Initially unaware that they needed to obtain a facultyFaculty (instrument)
A faculty is a legal instrument or warrant in canon law, especially a judicial or quasi-judicial warrant from an ecclesiastical court or tribunal.In the Roman Catholic Church, it is "the authority, privilege, or permission, to perform an act or function...
to authorise this in the consecrated ground, the council applied for a faculty retrospectively, although they were opposed in this by relatives of 119 Polish descendants whose relatives' memorials had been laid flat. At first the Consistory Court
Consistory court
The consistory court is a type of ecclesiastical court, especially within the Church of England. They were established by a charter of King William I of England, and still exist today, although since about the middle of the 19th century consistory courts have lost much of their subject-matter...
rejected the Council's application, but this was subsequently granted on appeal to the Court of Arches in 2006. However, in granting the faculty the Court required the Council to work with the Friends of Welford Rd Cemetery and members of the local Polish community to restore those flattened memorials.