Ford Park Cemetery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ford Park Cemetery is a 34 acre (140,000 m²) cemetery in central Plymouth, England, founded in 1848. Its official name at the time of inception was The Plymouth, Devonport and Stonehouse (Ford Park) Cemetery, although it is seldom referred to by that title any longer.
It is estimated that approximately a quarter of a million people are buried within its grounds. Among the more famous graves is that of the Reverend Robert Stephen Hawker, the author of The Song of the Western Men.
During the 1970s and 80s poor management, a loss of revenue because few people were paying for the maintenance of plots, and the popularity of cremation, all led to the dilapidation of the site. After the original cemetery company went into liquidation and after much public debate, a trust was set up which has reopened the cemetery, made dangerous structures safe, cleared the undergrowth, obtained renovation grants and made the place fashionable for strolls and interments. Along the top side is a connected but walled-off Jewish cemetery.
[edit] Links
- [1] - Ford Park Cemetery Trust website
