York Cemetery, York

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

York Cemetery is a cemetery located in the city of York, England. Founded in 1837, it encompasses 24 acres and is administered by The York Cemetery Trust. It is situated on Cemetery Road in the Fishergate area of York. It houses approximately 28,000 graves and has a chapel which is a Grade II* listed building.

[edit] History

York Cemetery was one of the first cemeteries opened in the city of York by a private company. It was created to service the needs of a large population growth in the area at the time. The primary architect of the chapel and grounds was James Pigott Pritchett. One of its trustees and directors was Robert William Bilton Hornby.

In 1979 the company which managed the cemetery went bankrupt, and its assets were liquidated. This left the cemetery site without a caretaker, and ownership reverted to the crown. In 1984 the roof of the chapel collapsed, which encouraged local citizens to form the York Cemetery Trust and look into restoring and maintaining the cemetery. By 1987 they had purchased the cemetery from the Crown Commissioners and reopened it. Much of the maintenance of the cemetery is undertaken by volunteers, including gardening and patrolling the grounds. It is again opened to interments today.