News / arnos vale cemetery
Cemetery calls for donations to repair historic gates
A cemetery is appealing for donations to repair its historic gates after being used for nearly two centuries.
The sliding mechanism of the Victorian gates on Arnos Vale Cemetery’s Bath Road entrance has failed, with one side now already removed for safety.
Despite raising nearly £8,000 already, the cemetery’s trust said “it is still a long way to go” from the required £40,000 for the specialist restoration of the Grade-II listed gates.
In 1993, protesters gathered near the cemetery’s gates to campaign for the site to remain open to the public
All donations made will go towards repairing the gate’s sliding mechanism and chain, relaying Victorian stone on both sides of the runner, and carefully sanding down and repainting the ironwork.
“The Bath Road gates don’t just represent history,” said the cemetery when appealing for funds on their website. “They keep our cemetery secure.”
Other than serving as the main vehicular entrance and being a historic work of art, the gates on Bath Road play a key role in the cemetery’s security.
Commissioned by architect Charles Underwood and manufactured by Messrs. Room (Grazebrook and Co), the gates have been at the forefront of the cemetery since 1839.
In 1993, when the cemetery was about to face closure, locals gathered outside these very gates to campaign for continued public access to the site.
CEO of the Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, Ann Fiddler said: “These gates are beautiful examples of Victorian ironwork and a central part of Arnos Vale’s story.
“As an independent charity with no council or government funding, we rely entirely on public support to conserve this beautiful, free, and peaceful green space full of nature and history.
“We’re asking our community to help protect this heritage asset so the gates – and the history they represent – can continue to welcome everyone.
“They symbolise the power of local people coming together to safeguard something precious, and we hope that same community spirit will once again rally to save them.”
All photos: Arnos Vale Cemetery
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