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Anyone know anything about Wardsend Cemetery?

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There is an old graveyard situated on Parkwood Srings,does anyone have any info relating to this site.

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Do you mean "Wardsend Cemetery"? between Neepsend/owlerton and the bottom of Herries Road (hillsboro' end), under the shadow of Shirecliffe?

 

Have you looked in the local studies library at Central library in town? there's allsorts of old maps and general info there that may be useful to you. It is a real mine of info! the staff will help, its a good place to start.

 

I was looking at an old map which covered the parkwood area a little while back, as I was searching around the area where the Kelvin Flats were built, to find where my grandparents lived in the early 1900's. the steep, windy streets there, where the ski slopes area is now looked amazing! like a rabbit warren!

 

A long time ago, when I was just "a slip of a girl", I lived on Herries Road, and, on a stroll through the cemetery, I was told by my pals that the cemetery was haunted(!) I only walked through it that once; I was too scared to go through it again.... (chuckles at the memory!)

 

"Under The Shadow Of Shirecliffe"; ooh, that sounds like it'd make a really great title for a novel or a biography, doesn't it...?

 

Plain Talker

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:thumbsup: Tango 2 i just PM'ed you The Yorkshire Paranormal Society will pay this place a visit you are most welcome to join us.

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Wardsend Cemetery has a distinct military influence due to its close proximity to Hillsborough Barracks. The obelisk monument commemorates the soldiers of 6th, 19th, 24th, 33rd, 51st, 55th Regiments of Foot, Victorian Army, who died whilst at Hillsborough Barracks during the period 1866 - 1869. A separate grave belongs to Lieutenant George Lambert V.C., an Irishman, born in Markethill, County Armagh, in December 1819. A sergeant in the 84th Regiment (York & Lancaster Regiment), he was promoted twice ‘without purchase’, and was awarded his Victoria Cross for “conspicuous bravery” during the Indian Mutiny at Oonao in 1857. His death was due to ‘the breaking of a blood vessel’ on the parade ground of Hillsborough Barracks on February 10th 1860.

 

There are also memorials to several soldiers who gave their lives during both world wars.

Some of the 240 victims of The Great Sheffield Flood of the night of 11th/12th of March 1864, when the Dale Dyke reservoir at Bradfield, collapsed, were laid to rest in Wardsend Cemetery, including the children of Paymaster Sergeant Foulds, Isabella, aged 5 and John, aged 3, of Hillsborough Barracks, also Mr. Joseph Goddard and his wife Sarah, of Malin Bridge.

 

Of the 213 bodies which were found, there were 35 which were buried without being identified. In addition to the 240 people who were drowned there were 50 horses, 38 cows, 8 donkeys, 258 pigs, 267 fowls and 72 tame rabbits allegedly lost!!

 

Other epitaphs of interest are dedications to a number of Bible readers, one a member of the Philadelphian Wesleyan church; the Secretary of Sheffield Angling Association; widows referred to as relicts, and a reference to a 15 year old boy tragically killed at work in a colliery accident.

 

Wardsend dates back as far as 1161 and was then called wereldesend.(relating to a forest clearing), by 1336 the spelling had been changed to Werlsend and by 1388 it was call Wordesent.

Wardsend House was built on this site in 1477 and stood for 400 years,before being demolished in 1957.

 

By 1901 there had been some 20,000 interments on the site and the new area was concecrated in 1859 by Archbishop musgrave of York.

It is said to be the only cemetry in the uk with a railway running through it.

 

It was also frequented by grave robbers,who sold the bodies to the medical school.

 

The final burial took place in 1977,when the re-internment of remains from a building site close to the Cathedral took place.

It was officialy closed in 1988.

 

Its a while since I last visited the site,at this time many of the graves close to the railway line were damaged and open.

The Friends of Wardsend Cemetry have been doing alot of work on the site.

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Gosh-wow!

 

I didn't realise it was still operational all those years ago, when my tale happened....

 

I did not realise there was so much history and so many tales behind the cemetery!

 

Thanks, tango2 for that info, it was fascinating reading!

 

Plain Talker

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I did a bit of rumaging around there as a kid and it is really interesting. You can still see the solid base that the little church stood on. The open graves up by the track with the mounds of removed earth still by the side of em always fascinated me as a kid.

 

It's a bit 'used needley' around there now though. Shame.

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why do I get the feeling that Sheffield Forum could easily make up it's own most haunted team????

 

Moon

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Originally posted by Moon Maiden

why do I get the feeling that Sheffield Forum could easily make up it's own most haunted team????

 

My interest was just the morbid fascination of a young scruffy lad.

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:thumbsup: Good work Tango 2, before we have a vigil up there it might be best asking The Friends of Wardsend Cemetry if its ok to visit. What do you think?

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wouldnt think it would be a problem,its very public up there,all the paths have been replaced.

Allthough it may be common courtesty to ask,they may even be glad of some further info or investigation.

 

Ive got a few pics of the site if you want them

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Originally posted by tango2

There is an old graveyard situated on Parkwood Srings,does anyone have any info relating to this site.

 

 

Wardsend Cemetery

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