Anyone know anything about Wardsend Cemetery?

[depoix]

Originally posted by tango2

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.

good research there mate,did you know that the 24 regiment of foot were the ones who fought at rorkes drift? remember the film ? zulu?they won 11 victoria crosses for that action,in the film it was made out they were a welch regiment,but in real life they had been moved to wales only a few weeks previouse to embarkation topafrica,there were in fact less than a couple of dozen welch men in the regiment at the time,theres a monument to a sageant of the 24 just as you walk in the cemetary,and a stone obelisk with names commemorating the men who served in the regiment just a little way up the path,we took photos o it as my mate was serving in the regiment a few years ago and he sent them down to their museum in brecon

[madowl]

As a kid i played with my mates at wardsend, ive been for a walk today with my kids down from Shirecliffe to hillsbrough, i love the view from the top... i must admit it upsets me to see the old Cemetery in the state its in... theres no recpect for the dead at this Cemetery.... i couldnt belive it when i saw a burnt out car half way down the cliff...how did they manage to get a car there???

[PopT]

I stand being corrected but i think Wardsend Cemetery is the only cemetery in the Uk which has a railway line running through it.

 

You had to go over the 'White Bridge' to the graves at the other side of the track.

 

From my boyhood memories of the place when there was a chapel on the site.

 

Happy Days!

[WallBuilder]

http://photobucket.com/albums/v332/WALLBUILDER/Old%20Cemetary/

Scream at me if the link doesn't work but there should be some pics here.

Quite odd seeing the railway line fenced off with graves on the side of the railway track.

The burnt out car looks as though it was more than likely set alight and then left to roll down the hillside if it's the one on the path as from the state of the path I doubt that anyone drove it there.

[roggert]

wardsend was abused by grave robbers in the 1860-1880s as a memorial stone in hillsboro park attests,in the small organic /wildlife area the stone tells of many persons never recoverd after the desecration.. the last remaining horseman of the charge of the light brigade in the crimea was unfortunately drowned as the ship he was insank in a stormjust a small distance from docking and was buried in parkwood/wardsend cemetery and is also remembered by having the first headstone in england to have an enamelled plaque detailing his life/death details.bad luck seems to have been his middle name. also the area was the site of a large electric generator complex like the cooling towers at meadowhall some of the massive cables can be seen on the old lane down to the dog trac.

[Tyto Alba]

I used to love it down there as a kid.....round t'waterside as we called it. The path from the hillfoot bridge to herries road. The river used to be all colours of the rainbow!

 

There used to be a few giant cooling towers along there too.

 

I especially loved the white bridge and the black bridge. One of them had railings that were collapsing in making things even more claustophobic. Are the bridges still there?

 

As a young man I used to take a shortcut along there when working nights, and it was pretty spooky. The angle at which the gravestones used to lean coupled with the faint crackle of the overhead electrical wires made even the most rational anti-ghost story bloke like me relieved to get back out onto herries road.

 

I haven't been along there for 20 years. Has it changed?

[Chord]

Would love to take a look around this place.

 

Where would be a safe place to park without the fear of leaving the car?

 

Thanks,

Jane.

[kensimmo]

Originally posted by tango2

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

 

I understood that it was put into use following the closure of St Phillips Cemetary which occured some time in the late 1940,s

 

I recall many a spooky evening spent within Wardsend Cemetary using a tombstone as a ooja baord after the sppedaway meetings.

[flyer]

This sounds a lot like the place I mentioned in another thread(The Moor),1946 my bro' and I just released fm Fullwood Homes and going completly wild,would tuck in somewhere near Bassets or the alongside the football grounds and go to the graves at midnight to see the ghosts arrive.We would scare ourselves silly ,having to walk back to Penistone Rd in the dark. One day I may tell you about Cem' #2 Top rd the same big bunch of Chris's would often get sold 3 or 4 times Ooow

[H.P]

Really enjoyed reading this thread, I used to walk through the short cut from shirecliff to hillsbourgh frequently when I was a teenager. I allways had a brisk pace whilst walking past the thickest of the graves and vegitation.

There was a grave just by the bridge that seemed to be sunken/dug out that allways freaked me out.

I was not aware that many of the soilder's from the barracks were buried there. My great grandfather was stationed there thats how my family came to be in sheffield, he was in the mounted artillary and I have a super photo of him on his mount in full uniform and I have his spurr's also. I dont belive he is buried there Infact I am pretty sure he is in the family plot at pitsmoor. I will ask my father for more details next time I see him. It seems a shame that it is so neglected but I suppose there are no longer reletives to tend them