Dewsbury Cemetery

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A public cemetery opened in 1860, laid out to a design by William Barratt with buildings by Jeremiah Marriott and Son, and extended in the late-C19.

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

The c 9ha cemetery is situated c 2km west-south-west of Dewsbury town centre. To the south-west the cemetery adjoins Ravenshouse Road with the boundary marked by a low stone wall topped with railings. To the south-east the cemetery adjoins housing on Ravens Avenue, to the north-west it is bounded by Burgh Mill Lane and, to the north, late-C20 housing. To the north of the principal entrance approach the C19 cemetery land adjoins a 1979 extension of the cemetery (outside the area here registered), bounded to the north-east by Cemetery Road. To the south of the approach the remainder of the north-east boundary adjoins the grounds of a school. All of these C19 boundaries, excepting that with Ravenshouse Road, are marked by c 1.8m high stone walls. All boundaries are partially lined with trees. North of the principal entrance a c 10m length of boundary wall in brick is in the location of a glasshouse indicated on the 1907 OS map.

The cemetery occupies rising ground on the north-east valley side of the Spen River, which joins the River Calder c 0.7km to the south, with distant views out to the south-west, across Ravensthorpe and the river valleys to a line of hills beyond. Within the cemetery the ground generally rises gradually with, to the north-east, a steep embankment and small plateau adjoining the principal entrance. The surrounding area is largely residential with inter-war housing immediately to the south-east, south-west, and north-west. Crow Nest Park (qv), with a museum and art gallery, lies immediately to the north, with Dewsbury Crematorium adjoining the park to the north-west.

ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES

The principal entrance (listed grade II) lies close to the centre of the north-east boundary at the head of a c 80m approach road, flanked by high stone walls, leading south-south-west from Cemetery Road. It is marked by a carriage entrance set between large, ornate octagonal stone gate piers and two pedestrian entrances with smaller square outer stone piers, all with Gothic Revival-style cast-iron gates. The entrance is flanked by c 10m lengths of low stone wall topped with railings in similar style. The principal entrance dates from 1859 and was designed by Jeremiah Marriott and Son. The approach road is on the line of a footpath or track indicated on the 1855 OS map.

A second entrance is situated at the centre of the south-west boundary with Ravenshouse Road. It is marked by a carriage entrance set between square, capped stone gate piers and flanked by two pedestrian entrances with lower outer piers, all with late-C19 cast-iron gates. The design of the piers is in similar, but simpler style to those at the principal entrance. This entrance gives access to the c 1890 extension area of the cemetery. A third entrance is situated at the northern corner of the cemetery adjoining Burgh Mill Lane. It is marked by a carriage entrance, without gates, set between two stone piers similar to those at the Ravenshouse Road entrance.

PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS

Some 35m south-west of the principal entrance, two mortuary chapels (each listed grade II) are sited symmetrically to either side of the main entrance drive, with the Anglican chapel to the south and the Nonconformist chapel to the north. The single-storey stone chapels with slate roofs in restrained Gothic Revival style are each to the same, handed design with a cruciform plan. They date from 1859 and were designed by Jeremiah Marriott and Son.

OTHER LAND

From the principal entrance an entrance drive leads c 30m south-westwards, where it divides to form carriage turns around the two mortuary chapels which are sited on a small plateau at the head of a steep embankment with views down over the cemetery to the south-west and beyond.

Some 40m from the principal entrance a stone cross forming a First World War memorial is situated between the two chapels within a low circular stone wall. The 1907 OS map indicates a fountain within a circular basin in this location. A capped stone pillar drinking fountain without basins is situated 15m north-east of the war memorial. The fountain is inscribed with the letters 'M M B' and the date 1863. From the chapel plateau winding paths lead off to north and south to form a perimeter path following the boundaries of the cemetery. Some 110m north-west and 90m south of the principal entrance each of these paths incorporates a series of short flights of stone steps leading down to the south-west.

To the south-west of the chapels two arms of the carriage turns form a 60m long cross-axial promenade at the head of a steep embankment formed in three grassed terraces. From the southern end of the promenade a path, with three short flights of stone steps, curves southwards to join the perimeter path. At the northern end of the promenade a similar path, without steps, curves westwards before turning to lead south-west forming a second main axial route, slightly acute to the first, in the lower area of the cemetery. A further path from the north of the promenade leads north-west to the perimeter path. At the centre of the promenade embankment c 4m wide stone steps, in three flights, lead down to a cross-axial path following the foot of the embankment and a main path leading south-westwards for c 95m into the lower area of the cemetery. The latter, with the steps, main entrance drive, and approach road are features of the axial spine of a loosely mirrored layout in the eastern area of the cemetery.

In the centre of the cemetery, c 65m and 175m south-west from the embankment foot, two main paths, on a slightly acute cross-axis, divide the cemetery from north-west to south-east within the perimeter path. Between these two main paths, adjacent to the south-east boundary, the perimeter path divides to enclose a narrow triangular burial area. The inner, north-western of these perimeter paths, together with the latter cross-axial path mark the extent of the cemetery in 1860.

Land between the cross-axial paths is divided into two roughly rectangular areas by the slightly acute second main axial path leading through the lower area of the cemetery. The south-eastern of these areas is slightly larger, on higher ground and is roughly centred on the main axial path leading south-west from the foot of the central embankment steps.This area is part of the consecrated burial ground for Anglican use and the rectangle to the north-west is unconsecrated ground. Each roughly rectangular area is laid out with a central teardrop-shaped burial area and four irregular corner areas generally defined by curving paths. The two central teardrop areas, that to the south-east larger, are linked by a cross-axial path, partly grassed to the south-east.

In the eastern area of the cemetery, paths leading up to the plateau are partially lined with trees. These routes are also generally lined with C19 and early-C20 monuments in a variety of styles with a particularly dense collection of monuments on the higher level ground adjacent to the chapels.

REFERENCES

Monumentum, Newsletter of the Dewsbury Cemetery Action Group (Summer 2001)

Kirklees Metropolitan Council, A History of Dewsbury Cemetery, (unpublished report c 2001)

Maps

OS 6" to 1 mile: 1st edition published 1855; 2nd edition published 1894; 1948 provisional edition

OS 25" to 1 mile: 2nd edition published 1907; 3rd edition published 1922; 1933 edition; 1938 edition

Archival items

Dewsbury Burial Board Minute Book, 1857-73 (West Yorkshire Archive Service, Kirklees)

Dewsbury Watch Committee Minutes 1876-83 (West Yorkshire Archive Service, Kirklees)

Dewsbury Watch and Cemetery Committee Minutes 1883-9 (West Yorkshire Archive Service, Kirklees)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION

Dewsbury Cemetery is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* A good example of a High Victorian (1859-60) public cemetery for a provincial town informal style complimented by a later C19 extension in similar style.

* The site was laid out to a design by William Barratt of St John's, Wakefield, with buildings by architects Jeremiah Marriott and Son, including twin chapels and two entrances.

* The Gothic chapels form a striking focal point in the design, flanking and dominating the main entrance and axis, and set dramatically at the top of a sloping plateau.

* Social interest is expressed in a variety of C19 monuments, most of which are relatively modest with a particularly dense collection of monuments on the higher level ground adjacent to the chapels.

* The cemetery layout and structures survive but in poor condition, together with some planting perhaps from the C19.

Description written: March 2002