Funding to aid historic cemeteries' restoration

Two cemeteries in Newcastle are set to be revitalised following a funding boost.

Newcastle City Council has secured £176,466 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop plans for restoring St John’s Cemetery and Westgate Hill Cemetery, in Elswick. 

The project, in partnership with the Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust, will focus on improving the Grade II-registered cemeteries, which date back to the 1800s, tackling deterioration and addressing anti-social behaviour.

Specialist surveys and community-led initiatives will help shape a larger restoration project, with further funding to be sought to remove the cemeteries from the Heritage at Risk register.

Councillor Alex Hay, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for neighbourhood services at Newcastle City Council, said: “Generations of people have been laid to rest in these cemeteries, so they play an important role in our communities.

“Due to years of funding pressures, they have deteriorated, which is terribly sad, but we hope this funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will help reverse that decline and start the necessary work towards securing their long-term future.

Kari Vickers, deputy manager of the Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust, added: “We are engaging with local communities to explore the potential of these sites - working with creative practitioners, using themes of art, nature and heritage, to discover tales of those visiting, buried in and connected to these cemeteries.”

To find out more, go to twbpt.org.uk and storiesofthestones.com

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