History is made at the historic Billing Road Cemetery

Concerned members of the Northamptonshire Gardens Trust were worried that unless something was done – and they got the support of local people – the 177-year-old disused cemetery would continue to deteriorate further.Elaine Johnson, Chair of Northamptonshire Gardens Trust, told of saplings coming up through some of the graves, recounted that the big iron gate had seen better days and that there wasn’t even seating for visitors to sit on.Despite its poor condition, Elaine said that the cemetery, which is owned by West Northants Council, was a “hidden gem” and the town’s “best secret” and that it had a lot of potential.Then the Trust, which cares for parks, gardens and designed landscapes and “helps preserve the past for the future” won The Gardens Trust Community Grant Award, enabling volunteers to save the cemetery and prevent it from going into further decline.Now, following a series of public meetings highlighting the issues, the Friends of Billing Road Cemetery has been officially launched by the Deputy Mayor of Northampton, Councillor Paul Joyce.In celebration and in recognition of its nature value to the community, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Big Garden Watch also took place in the cemetery at the same time.The launch was followed by tea and cake at the Vernon Terrace Community Centre which featured an exhibition about the history of the cemetery, the surrounding community and its associations.The Friends Group will work in partnership with West Northants Council, local communities and visitors, to help enrich this cherished, green, open space for the enjoyment and health of wellbeing of all,” said Elaine, who is on the Friends Group. The aim is to preserve the historic cemetery and create a biodiverse haven for the benefit of wildlife and people. Respect for the dignity of the cemetery and its interred will be paramount.”Elaine said that in 1968, the Northampton Corporation Act 1962 Section 18 (7) – the Removal of Memorials, Billing Road Cemetery – was enforced and 4,530 headstones were removed.“Luckily, the inscriptions were recorded and the Friends Group have now taken on research to trace the original locations and recover part of the important history of the site.”The Friends Group is also going to explore the potential for conserving monuments in the cemetery and restoring other original historic features such as entrances and paths, and even historic planting.“Research will include Stories To Be Told, opportunities to contribute stories about the cemetery and its many inhabitants and their varied lives within and beyond the town, including mayors, local dignitaries, entrepreneurs and workers in the boot and shoe industry who are buried in the cemetery,” Elaine explained.Opened in 1847, the cemetery was laid out to a design by Scottish born Robert Marnock (1880-1889), who became one of the most sought-after landscape gardeners of the nineteenth century.The cemetery lies with the Billing Road Conservation area and contains a single Gade II listed monument, hailed as a remarkable Italian marble sculpture of a weeping horse on a plinth, erected in memory of famous circus owner Robert Fossett and his family.Another notable monument remembers Caroline Chisholm (1808-1877) and her husband Archibold. Caroline worked to improve education and living conditions for women in India and for thousands of emigrants in Australia. Her work has been recognised as culturally significant, sufficiently so that she has been portrayed on Australian bank notes and postage stamps.The Commonwealth War Graves Commission tends a memorial to 149 dead from the two World Wars.If you are interested in helping to preserve Billing Road Cemetery, please get in touch via email: [email protected]