The Victorian Gem, Burnley Cemetery.

Still magnificent....
Originally uploaded by Jaxpix50.

I love cemeteries. I always have and I've never known why. My love for them has increased since doing family history as there is so much to be learned from them. Everytime we go into the Dales or the countryside of Lancashire I have to have a poke round all the grave yards.
Strangely enough though I had never been round our own cemetery here in Burnley as from the road you can just see row after row of modern headstones. However about 3 years ago Steve noticed in the local newspaper that there was guided tour of the cemetery. Well of course we had to go and we discovered this hidden Victorian gem. It is absolutely amazing.

Not only is the older part stunningly beautiful and full of atmosphere but the whole cemetery can be read and gives the history of our town. The impressive mill owners graves stretching skyward and the open spaces, unmarked graves of the thousands of workers who died in their factories. We found the grave of Dan Irving the first Labour MP for the town and monuments to victims of WW 1 and 2. There is a tribute to the men who lost their lives in the Hapton mining disaster in the area in 1962 along with one to several local people who were killed during Wakes Week in plane crash en route to Spain.
Finally the newest edition is the area set aside for parents of lost neo-natal, still born and miscarried children. There are benches to sit on and the path is made up of small bricks with the children's names on, often just 'Baby Smith'.
So Burnley Cemetery, a piece of history... . see the pix by clicking on the pic here.