Sleaford Cemetery
Sleaford Cemetery is situated on
Eastgate, the entrance is marked by the original stone pillars and
gates, (restored in 2007), and a timber frame cottage that used to be the residence
of the Cemetery Superintendent and is now a private house.
Memorial Safety
Burial Register
East Midlands in Bloom Awards
Opening Times
Access
Regulations and Charges
Layout
New Burials
History
Flora and Fauna
The Attiwell Memorial
War Graves
Memorial Safety
All the memorials within the cemetery are privately
owned and it is not the responsibility of the Town Council to
maintain them. However the Town Council does have the duty
to ensure that all the headstones and other memorials are in a
safe condition. The owner of most memorials will usually be
a relative of the deceased at the time of burial but after a
period of time this will probably pass to other family members.
All memorials receive a periodic inspection and, as a last resort,
may be laid down if found to be unsafe. This protects the public
and also the memorial is laid down gently rather than possibly
falling uncontrolled and being damaged.
Click here for further information.
Burial Register
We are hoping that some time in the future the
burial records will be accessible on-line. At the moment we
are working to transfer the records to a database and there are
still some gaps. But in the meantime we are able to show a
large portion of the burial records as a PDF file. Please
note the handwriting in some of the old registers has meant some
guesswork in interpreting the names. The ages at the moment
just show a number, with the children this may indicate days,
weeks, months as well as years, we hope to be able to show these
shortly. Also there are the
Notes on the Cemetery Database which explains the plot numbering
etc.
Click
here for the PDF copy of the Burial Register
Click here for the Notes on the Cemetery Database
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East Midlands in
Bloom Awards
The Cemetery has always been a part
of the judge's route since Sleaford in Bloom started to enter the
annual competition.
In
2007 as part of East Midlands in Bloom, the cemetery was awarded
the RHS Bloomin Wild Discretionary Award for the wildflower area.
The Cemetery was awarded a
'Judges Award' in 2003 and 2006 for it's wildflower initiatives,
with the judges in 2006 commenting on,
'the
excellent management regimes at the cemetery that allow
wildflowers to flourish'.
The best time to visit the
wildflower section is between May - September and the section is
located on the right at the top of the drive. Further photos
of the cemetery can be seen in the 'Pictures of Sleaford' section
of this website.
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Opening Times
April - September 8.00 am
until 7.00 pm.
October - March 8.00 am until 4.00 pm.
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Access
Entry to the cemetery for vehicles and pedestrians
is off
Eastgate and there is limited parking at the top of the drive.
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Regulations and Charges
A copy of the Regulations and Charges are on
display on the notice board along with other information
pertaining to the cemetery.
(PDF copy of
Regulations and Charges)
To report vandalism or damage within the
cemetery or if you have any other concerns regarding the cemetery, please call 01529 303456 or email
enquiries@sleaford.gov.uk.
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Layout
The cemetery is laid out as four main areas:
Old Portion (1856 onwards)
New Portion (1884 onwards)
New Section (1941 onwards)
Woodland Section (2004 onwards)
Click here
for a copy of the cemetery plan.
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New
Burials
New burials will take place in the
'Woodland Section' of the cemetery, unless a plot has been
purchased in the past in one of the existing sections.
The next available plot will be
designated by the Town Council at the time of application, an
adjacent plot may be purchased at the time of the first internment
for the deceased's partner.
The layout of the 'Woodland Section' is different to
the remainder of the cemetery with the headstones in the majority
of cases being back-to-back. Any concerns regarding the
layout should be addressed prior to any internment.
The sections TT & UU within the Woodland section are
designated to be planted with trees. Burials in these two
sections will have no memorials placed on them and will eventually
become a small copse of native trees.
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History
As Sleaford grew during the nineteenth century, it quickly became
evident that the churchyard was becoming unsuitable for further
burials. It was overcrowded and seen as a breeding ground for
diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
By 1848 it became necessary in some cases for two
bodies to be buried in a single five-foot grave. Such conditions,
coupled with the Victorian desire to celebrate death in more dignified
and hygienic surroundings, led to the decision to create a new
cemetery.
In 1850, the newly founded Local Board of Health
employed William Ranger, a superintending inspector of public
health, to undertake an enquiry into the matter. Following the
discovery of a suitable site on Eastgate, the Bishop of Lincoln
consecrated the new cemetery on June 24th 1856 in the presence
of two thousand people, displaying the civic pride felt by the
local population in undertaking the venture.
On July 23rd 1856 Thomas Harrison, a former fellmonger
and Sleaford bedesman, became the first person to be interred
in the cemetery.
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Flora and Fauna
The cemetery has always been managed, whether intentionally or
not, in a manner that encourages wildlife. Any planting
scheme, be it formal flower beds, shrubs or trees, will provide
food and shelter to many insects, birds and small mammals.
Since 2001 a more proactive regime
has been carried out in the 'Old Portion' introducing a greater
number of wild flowers. This does mean that grass in this
section of the cemetery is allowed to grow longer. This area
does attract a larger number of insects than the remainder of the
cemetery, particularly between April and September.
Some of the trees probably date
back to the early days of the cemetery and there are a number of
mature trees, including some majestic Pines at the top of the
drive, a Copper Beech and mature Silver Birch in the
Un-consecrated part of the Old Portion. Over 30 new trees
have been planted since 2001, all native species.
Work has also been taking place to
restore the extensive yew hedging to a suitable standard.
This has entailed the planting of over 100 new plants and the
removal of ivy and self seeded trees from the existing hedging.
Over 150 metres of native hedging has been planted along the
eastern fence to help hide the fencing.
In the past few years staff have
regularly seen Foxes, Hedgehogs, Pheasant, Green Woodpeckers and many
other types of birds and insects throughout the cemetery. One group of visitors to
the cemetery are not always so welcome. Rabbits, most of
whom live outside the cemetery boundaries, are regular visitors to
the cemetery and do quite often eat flowers placed near headstones
and the floral sections of wreaths. This is a continuing
problem and can be distressing to visitors when the heads of the
flowers disappear overnight.
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The Attiwell Memorial
This First World War Memorial, unveiled in 1920, commemorates
the dead of Sleaford, Holdingham and Quarrington. It was commissioned
and paid for by Charles Attiwell, a local tradesman, whose son
William was killed in France in 1917.
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Made of white Sicilian marble, the whole
of the work was supplied by Fred Clarke, a monumental
mason of Sleaford, although the angel was possibly carved
in Italy. The front panel includes a bas-relief of the
Union Flag, with laurel sprays springing up from the crusader’s
shield, symbolising freedom from oppression. The angel
of peace carries a laurel wreath in her left hand, representing
victory, while her right hand points towards heaven, symbolising
the promise of the future. Her outspread wings and downcast
eyes represent sorrow for the fallen.
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The quotation “Their names liveth for evermore”
(Ecclesiasticus 44:14) is used on all stones of remembrance in
war cemeteries, and was suggested by Rudyard Kipling.
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War Graves
Throughout the cemetery are located several official war graves
of those who died in service, particularly during the two World
Wars. There is also a small plot which contains nine of the fallen
from World War II. These are maintained by the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission, which has its origins in 1914. It was set up
to locate, identify and register the thousands of graves of those
who died in the service of the British Empire, and to establish
permanent cemeteries abroad and in this country.
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Each simple headstone is carved in white
Portland or Hopton Wood stone, with no distinction between
the officers and their men. Each bears the badge of the
deceased’s service, regiment or national emblem,
his or her name, rank, number and decorations, together
with the date of death and age at death. The base is reserved
for an inscription chosen by the family of the deceased,
and may also commemorate another relative who died in
service and is buried elsewhere. The religious emblem
in most cases is a simple Christian cross.
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The horticultural work around the Commonwealth War
Graves is carried out under the aegis of the Royal Botanic Gardens
at Kew, and the plants are chosen with considerable care to symbolise
the English garden.
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