Identification and description | |||||||||||||
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Name | STAPENHILL CEMETERY | ||||||||||||
Location |
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Localisation | Latitude: 52.802313 Longitude: -1.6181479 National Grid Reference: SK 25841 22819 Map: Download a full scale map (PDF) |
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Overview | Heritage Category: Park and Garden Grade: II List Entry Number: 1001616 Date first listed: 05-Jun-2002 |
Stapenhill Cemetery was designed by the company of Lucy and Littler of Liverpool and
consecrated in 1866.
HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT
In 1864 Burton upon Trent Burial Board purchased 12 acres (c 5ha) of land from the
Marquess of Anglesey at an initial cost of £4800. The site, 'situated on a declivity
a little east of the town' (Kelly 1888), presented a commanding location, north of
the village of Stapenhill, at that time in Derbyshire. Lucy and Littler of Liverpool,
who were the architects for Flaybrick Memorial Gardens (qv) in 1862, are thought to
have designed the buildings (Brooks 1989). The total cost of these and the laying
out was £20,500 (ibid). The Anglican chapel and part of the grounds were consecrated
on 25 May 1866, with the first burial in June of the same year. West of the cemetery,
on a narrow strip of land above the banks of the Trent which ran from north-north-east
to south-south-west, a recreation ground was developed on land leased from the Marquess
of Anglesey for forty-five years from 4 April 1865. Ornamental walks and gardens were
developed, the bandstand having an axial relationship with the main entrance arch
and avenue of the cemetery. The first extension of the cemetery was made in 1883 when
the site was enlarged to a total of 22 acres (c 9ha) by taking in land to the east,
the new ground being laid out in a similar style to the existing designed landscape
with central axial avenue and circular walks. In the C20 the cemetery was enlarged
further to the east to a total of 30 acres (c 12ha). The cemetery remains (2001) in
use offering a variety of burial services, including woodland burial, to a range of
denominations.
DESCRIPTION
LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING Stapenhill Cemetery is situated c 1km
east-south-east of the centre of Burton upon Trent. The registered site of c 9ha is
rectangular in shape and occupies land rising to the east-south-east above the first
terrace of the River Trent, affording views to the north-west, west, and south-west
over the Trent valley and the town, views which are now in part obscured by the maturing
of trees in the cemetery and the adjacent recreation ground. The cemetery is bounded
to the south by railings along the north side of Elms Road, with a residential area
on the south side from which there are views into the cemetery. The western boundary
along Stapenhill Road is formed by a stone retaining wall with prominent stone piers
at regular intervals, the original railings which topped it now missing (2001), the
ground rising fairly steeply from here across the cemetery ground. A line of mature
trees, limes and chestnut, are situated just inside the cemetery along this boundary.
The former sexton's house is situated at the corner of Stapenhill Road and Elms Road.
Along the west side of Stapenhill Road, the network of footpaths and mature tree specimens
are evidence of the recreation ground developed from 1865, although the bandstand
is now gone (2001). To the north the cemetery is bounded by a chain-link fence and
the low hedges of the back gardens of houses on Scalpcliffe Road, and by an area of
glasshouses defined by hedges. The eastern boundary of the site here registered is
formed to the north by allotments and to the south by a line of trees which mark the
limit of the 1883 extension ground. The trees run from north-north-east to south-south-west
to the eastern end of Elms Road where there is an entrance to the eastern part of
the cemetery.
ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES The main entrance to Stapenhill Cemetery is from Stapenhill
Road to the west, approached from a wide recessed forecourt rising gently to the entrance
arches (listed grade II). These are thought to be the work of Lucy and Littler of
Liverpool (Brooks 1989) and comprise three pointed arched stone gateways with wrought-iron
gates, a central carriage arch and pedestrian arches to either side, and are in High
Victorian Gothic style. The date of opening, 1866, and the town coat of arms decorate
the gateway, which forms an impressive entrance to the cemetery. Immediately north-north-east
of the entrance, situated on elevated ground inside the cemetery, the gatehouse or
lodge, in Gothic style, is reached by a flight of stone steps. A horticultural centre
has been established (C20) immediately east of the gatehouse.
OTHER LAND The layout of the cemetery is formal and symmetrical, the spine of the
designed landscape formed by an axis linking from the main entrance uphill to the
east-south-east along a central drive, to a focal tree on a mound at the centre of
a circular terrace. Originally access was gained to the tree on the mound via a short
serpentine path (OS 1884), now gone (2001). Three walks cross the main spine at right
angles: a broad promenade situated at the top of the central drive, 130m east-south-east
of the main entrance, connecting the two cemetery chapels; further east, a walk centred
on the focal tree, situated 190m east-south-east of the main entrance; and the third,
250m east-south-east of the main entrance. A symmetrical layout of three circles,
two incomplete and laid side by side, each 150m in diameter, and a third, smaller
and complete circle of 100m diameter placed centrally overlapping the larger pair,
laid out about the central drive, provides a variety of walks and views.
The central drive of the cemetery leads from the gatehouse to a rondpoint 35m east-south-east
of the main entrance from which curving paths, part of the circular walk nearest the
entrance, lead off uphill to either side of the drive. The central drive proceeds
uphill, with, on either side, groups of monuments interspersed with mature evergreen
trees, predominantly fastigiate, informally planted. Throughout this older part of
the cemetery there is an excellent collection of evergreen trees dating from the first
phase of its design and a number of mature broadleaved specimens, informally arranged.
The consecrated ground lies on the north side of the drive, and unconsecrated to the
south. Some 135m east-south-east of the main entrance the central drive terminates
in a broad cross-axis or promenade, at the centre of which stands a war memorial.
The cemetery chapels and forecourts are situated at either end of the promenade. To
the north-north-east, 150m east-north-east of the main entrance, is the Anglican chapel
(still in use, 2001), in Gothic style, the steeple assymetrically placed. To the south-south-west,
150m south-east of the main entrance, is the Nonconformist chapel (now used as a store,
2001), of identical design to the Anglican chapel but without its steeple. Several
large monuments are situated near the promenade including a pink and grey obelisk,
dated 1869, commemorating Charlotte Ratcliff, standing a few metres south-south-west
of the Anglican chapel and a large octagonal gothic monument, dated 1877, commemorating
William Low, a Burton builder, placed a few metres north-east of the Nonconformist
chapel.
Immediately north-north-east and south-south-west of the war memorial two symmetrical
circular paths, part of the smaller circular walk, link to either end of the second
cross-axis which focuses on the central tree set on a circular broad level terrace
cut into the hillside which marks the centre of the smaller circle. In the first extension
of the cemetery the geometric layout was extended but in a simplified form. The central
tree, a cedar of Lebanon on a raised mound surrounded by a low retaining wall, is
probably the original tree (OS 1884). From the focal tree a central route resumes,
leading east-south-east linking a further cross-axis and circular and curvilinear
paths. From this more elevated part of the cemetery, laid out as the first extension
in 1883, there are good views, partly obscured by trees, to the north-west, west,
and south-west across the Trent valley and Burton upon Trent.
REFERENCES
Kelly, Directory of Staffordshire (1888), 72 Stuart D, History of Burton upon Trent:
Part I Edwardian Burton (1975), 68 Brooks C, Mortal Remains (1989), 54-5, 129 A Guide
to Stapenhill and Rolleston Cemeteries, guide leaflet, (East Staffordshire Borough
Council 1998)
Maps OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1882, published 1884 1938 edition
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION Stapenhill Cemetery is designated at Grade II for the following
principal reasons: * A good example of a High Victorian (1864-66) public cemetery
for a provincial town * Designed in formal style based on a pattern of interlocking
circular paths and drives set on a sloping site overlooking the River Trent. * The
site was laid out to a design by the noted cemetery designers Lucy and Littler of
Liverpool, including twin chapels, a grand entrance and boundary wall and lodge. *
The Gothic chapels form two striking focal points in the design, flanking and dominating
the main entrance and axis, and set dramatically at the top of a slope up from the
entrance ensemble. * Social interest is expressed in a variety of C19 monuments, most
of which are relatively modest with a particularly dense collection of monuments on
the higher level ground adjacent to the chapels. * The cemetery layout and structures
survive in good condition, together with excellent planting from the C19.
Description written: October 2001 Amended: November 2001 Register Inspector: JS Edited:
December 2009
This garden or other land is registered under the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act 1953 within the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens by Historic England for its special historic interest.