Chapel Street Cemetery had been neglected for many years and was in a bad state of repair. It was overgrown with weeds and brambles. You could hardly open the gate.
On 23 March 2020, the first day of covid lockdown two local residents cut the first brambles from the gates and spent every day for the next 4 months trying to make inroads into the cemetery with the intention of tidying up, restoring damaged gravestones and making it an attractive, open space to be enjoyed by the community. In July it became apparent how enormous the task they had taken on was going to be. A request was put out to the community inviting other local volunteers to come and help. Several willing locals volunteered and the “Friends of Chapel Street Cemetery” group was formed.
Following the closure of the church in 2021 (located nearby on Victoria Road), the URC decided that the church and cemetery should be sold. The Friends and local residents were appalled that a historically important cemetery and part of the heritage of Eccleshill could potentially be lost or destroyed. The Friends talked to the URC and they agreed to sell the cemetery to the Friends. To enable this to happen the Friends applied to become a charity, and our application was granted in February 2023. Co-incidentally, the number we were allocated was 1201823. The last 4 digits just happen to be the year the cemetery opened, and this October it will be 200 years old! The Friends are continuing with works to restore the cemetery and make it a welcoming space for local residents and visitors alike and are currently raising funds to make the purchase as soon as possible. See our DONATIONS page for how you can help.