Loxley Chapel and burial ground

[TimeBandit52]

Just got back to Hinckley from a trip to Loxley cemetry to place some flowers on my wife's Grandparents grave. The flowers are back with us as we could not get to the grave as it is impassable with five foot high brambles and weeds. No one can visit loved ones there as you can't get to them. Any one else had a similar experience. ?

[gregnig]

We've been in the same situation for quite a long time. Contacted the Star newspaper a few years ago & they published an article regarding this sad state of affairs. The local conservation group said they would consider working in the cemetery providing their expenses were paid. Unfortunately it is private land . Are the graves property of the families concerned?

[Roger3]

We've been in the same situation for quite a long time. Contacted the Star newspaper a few years ago & they published an article regarding this sad state of affairs. The local conservation group said they would consider working in the cemetery providing their expenses were paid. Unfortunately it is private land . Are the graves property of the families concerned?

 

If someone will work for expenses...anyone know anything about crowd funding?

[Arthur Ritus]

I was believing Hagues of prospect farm owned the site, the star article names someone called Jamel Ali, the first thing to do has to be finding out who really owns what.

 

There are two separate issues for me the main one is the cemetery, no place of interment should be allowed to get like this. I look after one grave and had to start by clearing a path of grass, bramble and nettle 2' high about 30yrds long to get to it. It was quite an experience doing it with a scythe on a really hot day,i was well knackered, makes you respect the guys who used to do it all day long.

How it is kept is made more difficult by different people having different wishes, it wouldn't have bothered me if sheep had been allowed to graze, it would mean no flowers unless a way was found to stop the sheep eating them, but i do understand some peoples objection. The other solution is to keep mowing the site as most cemeteries do. There is a triangle of land from the last row to the road on the upper site, that could be fenced off and cleared for grazing and the mown grass could be fed to the animals in there.

I personally don't like trees growing amongst the graves and would prefer them to be cut down, an opinion which no doubt make me very unpopular with many but we are all entitled to our opinions. They are in an area of little upkeep which i think is why they have grown so, they are well away from my graves so i suppose its not for me to argue just an opinion.

 

Generally it just needs graft, a petrol strimmer/ brush cutter is all that is really needed unless free keep fit and the loan of a scythe is on offer to the gym crowd. I like most struggle for time when the weather is appropriate as i have many other jobs needing the fine weather but i will try to get every few months and keep some in reasonable shape.

 

The other issue is the chapel, a listed building which should have meant it was protected, what is left now may as well be knocked down. Owners should be held responsible for the preservation of a listed building including security and action taken if found inadequate.

 

Generally speaking it isn't beyond comprehension that an unwanted preserved building would be bought and left to ruin and vandalism so the owner can get away with eventually knocking it down in the interest of safety, then build whatever they wish. Certainly no one should ever profit by allowing the destruction of a listed building to build more profitable property, perhaps a permanent ban on any other building on such a site may stop this kind of developer and allow it to be purchased by an owner of good intention.

 

It would be interesting to see the sale agreement when the site was sold and any stipulations. To be fair it was already an unkempt mess before it was sold. Technically it is still an active cemetery as there are people with prepaid burials there which the owner has to legally allow. In many ways they should have more say than anyone as living future residents, I know one but unfortunately she's not bothered, I think its a case of when the time comes she won't care.

 

Perhaps a poster could be put up on the gates with a link to this thread to try to get more opinions of the people looking after graves there, a separate web site would be nice if someone with the resources would do it.

Edited September 4, 2018 by Arthur Ritus
can't spell and spellcheck doesn't understand me

[Roger3]

I live 250 miles away, but there is a family plot with my grandmother, grandfather, aunt and uncle buried there.

 

I am surprised at the news of ownership. I would not demur about no grave yard should get into the state that is in and listed buildings are a problem, I don't think that anyone has a power to make people keep them in good shape, just to make them keep it as was at the time of listing. But the power you talk about should be, but would be up to Parliament I think.

 

These days many web pages are infact Facebook pages and they are free, so that would be possible.

[Roger3]

I heard from a friend who passed by that there was some action on poisoning, is that correct?

[AKAMD]

Having just joined the SheffieldForum I have only just found this thread and would like to update everyone who has contributed over the years and inform you of the recently established Friends of Loxley Cemetery Group.

 

Reading through the thread reminded me of the campaign I and many others have pursued over the last 20 years.  I won't reiterate what has been said in the thread other than that I have shared the concerns, anger and frustrations at the lack of action and responsibility during this period.  However, some progress has been made towards bringing this once picturesque piece of the Loxley Valley back to its former glory.

 

The major stumbling block to getting anything done has been the agreement of the owners: previously Hagues Farming and now Ali Property Management.  To be honest I don't recognize the notion of Hagues being amenable to working with a friends group.  In my experience Hagues simply wouldn't support the idea.  However, following an initiative by local councilors and a number of determined interested parties, the new owners have agreed (in writing) to a friends group taking up the task of renovation.  The Friends of Loxley Cemetery Group was established  last September.  It is now a formally constituted group with a management committee of 11, who have met on a regular basis to put the group on sound foundations.  We have a bank account, insurance to cover our activities and assets and, above all else, a determination to get the job done.  An initial action day was organised for 14 March, to be led by an experienced volunteer co-ordinator and we were ready to make a start.  Unfortunately a family emergency occurred that meant we had to postpone the event.  And then came Coronavirus, which has naturally put a halt to activities for the foreseeable future.  However, once this crisis is over we will make a start on the physical transformation of Loxley Cemetery.

 

At the last count we had 51 paid-up members of the Group (we agreed an annual subscription of £5) and membership is open to any individual over the age of 18 or organisation (one vote at general meetings) who shares the Group's aims and objectives and willing to agree by the rules of the Group.  Subscriptions are due 1 January.  We had a stand at the Sheffield Heritage Fair on Jan 18-19, our first public venture, where we were  able to raise the Group's profile and recruit new members.

 

Anyone wanting to join the Friends of Loxley Cemetery can do so by contacting the Secretary, Linda Brownlow by emailing loxly.secretary@yahoo.com 

 

From the interest shown in this thread I hope we can recruit a number of you to the cause.

 

Mick Drewry, Chair of Friends of Loxley Cemetery  

(AKAMD)

 

[Suz]

I am trying to find out if my grandparents are buried in Loxley cemetary. We went a few weeks ago but it was so badly overgrown we couldnt see all the headstones. Is there a list of who is buried there. I am looking for the name Whittaker. There could be Florence who died in 1941 and William who died in the 1950s. If anyone knows how i can get the info please let me know. Thankyou

[hillsbro]

Hu Suz - in case it is helpful, here is a quote from post #38 by "LoxleyS6" on Page 4 of this thread:

 

"The burial records for the cemetery can be viewed at Sheffield Archives opposite the train station in town, however the records that you are able to view are limited to the lower cemetery because the upper cemetery is still accepting new burials.

 

That been said however, the upper cemetery burials can be viewed by appointment at the funeral home that manages the burials on behalf of the owners, details of which can be found earlier in this post.

 

Sadly due to the condition of both the upper and lower cemetery the best time to locate a plot is in the winter when the weed growth has died down a bit, particularly after it's snowed because the weight of the snow squashes the weeds and reveals the headstones."

 

A few more details are given further down Page 4.

 

Public records confirm that William Whittaker, born 19 February 1903, died in Oct.-Dec. 1954.

Edited September 17, 2020 by hillsbro

[AKAMD]

Hi Suz

 

Please email your inquiry to Friends of Loxley Cemetery Group: loxley.secretary@yahoo.com