The General Cemetery opened in 1836 'at some distance in the countryside' in a 'remote and undisturbed' location.
It became established as the principal burial ground in Victorian Sheffield containing the graves of 87,000 people.
The site today is a Grade II* listed park which is the highest listed in Sheffield, and one of only four in South Yorkshire.
It is a Conservation Area, Local Nature Reserve and Area of Natural History Interest.
- One of the earliest commercial cemeteries in Britain, it contains the largest collection of listed buildings and monuments in Sheffield,
ten in total including Grade II listed catacombs, Anglican Chapel and monuments with the Gatehouse,
Non-conformist Chapel and the Egyptian Gateway, each listed at Grade II*.
- There is the largest single grave plot in the country, holding the bodies of 96 paupers.
- It is also home to many important figures in Sheffield history such as Mark Firth, the steel manufacturer,
and Samuel Holberry, the Chartist.
- The Cemetery was closed for burial in 1978, when half the Cemetery was demolished to make way for a green space.
The Sheffield General Cemetery Trust carries out education tours and workshops; conservation work to maintain and enhance the monuments, the landscape and the paths; and historical research of the Cemetery and its occupants. The aim is to encourage everyone to enjoy this historical site by walking its paths, learning its history or simply as a quiet place to sit and contemplate.
Original Vision
Originally the designers saw the Cemetery as having a dual role:
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A burial ground for the dead
The graveyards were overflowing and there was an urgent need to find more space for the bodies (safe from body snatchers!).
The Cemetery was to be a fit place where people could be buried in a way that reflected their earthly wealth and status.
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A sanctuary for the living
Churchyards had always been places where people met, and walked and talked.
But this was a much greater vision: sweeping vistas, inspiring architecture -
the grand scheme celebrated the designers' attitudes towards life.
The cemetery was one of the first in Britain to promote this type of landscape.
Its purpose - to create an uplifting place, which people could visit and contemplate the beauty and tranquillity of their surroundings.
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Site Today
Even today, despite the graffiti and the unkempt graves, the Cemetery still retains many of its original qualities.
Look beyond the vandalism and the erosion and you will find much to admire.
Many of the monuments remain - their hard-wearing stone has resisted the ravages of time.
These stones survive, as does the essence of the designers' vision.
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They envisaged a tranquil, ordered green land within, set apart from a teeming, expanding industrial city.
Now, over 160 years later, the Cemetery continues to reflect the designers' original intention to meet the needs of the community.
It is a green retreat, within a vibrant bustling city, where local people can stroll and reflect.
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The Future
Over the years trees and plants have flourished unchecked,
and now this splendid tangle of boughs and undergrowth has become a home for wildlife.
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This poses a dilemma - what to restore? What to conserve?
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The Sheffield General Cemetery Trust has to maintain a balance between restoring
some of the original Victorian features and conserving the habitats of the newcomers.
