Grave Concerns - The Making of Billing Road Cemetery

Now in the care of West Northamptonshire Council, the cemetery occupies the eastern end of The Billing Road Conservation Area and is arguably its most significant component. In the middle of the 19th Century a brand new cemetery was opened by The Northampton General Cemetery Company to relieve the town’s overcrowded churchyards. A fashionable ‘Garden Cemetery’ sited on the edge of the Victorian town, it proved so popular that an extension to the cemetery was added in the late 19th Century. Workers and illustrious citizens alike are buried here, including Caroline Chisholm, W.J. Bassett-Lowke, George Percy Abbott, and Robert Fossett’s circus family. The Friends of Billing Road Cemetery will meet you at the main gate on the Billing Road and guide you around the cemetery and its War Memorial. Tours will focus on the historic architecture of the cemetery, both lost and surviving, and will include its entrances, principal buildings, and garden landscaping features as well as the different types of monuments erected in remembrance of those interred within this tranquil green oasis within urban Northampton. The tours will also look at the gardeners, architects, stonemasons and others who were involved in the creation of the cemetery. Come and share our conservation vision for the future of this cherished cemetery, working closely with WNC. Stout footwear is recommended. Arrive in style by using the weekend’s hop-on/off classic bus tours offered by Northampton Heritage Transport!

Timings & Tours

Saturday 20 September:

10am, 11.30am, 2pm

Sunday 21 September:

11.30am, 2pm

Location & directions

Billing Road Cemetery (main entrance), Billing Road, Abington, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 5DE

Directions:

Note: The guided tours will start at the MAIN GATE along Billing Road, Northampton (not at the cemetery's official postal address)! Lat/Long: 52°14'19"N 0°52'30"W - NGR: SP76906066 - What 3 Words: pies.tall.gross. On 20th/21st September we hope to include tours of this cemetery as a stop-off on the classic bus tour routes offered by Northampton Heritage Transport. Please note: there is no onsite parking, but parking can sometimes be found in neighbouring streets.

Contact on day:

Pauline Whittall ([email protected])

Telephone number:

+447950924692

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking not required

Accessibility details

The cemetery is now largely grassed over but some original path metalling survives in the south and east of the site. Elsewhere public access has resulted in well-beaten paths through the site. The cemetery is regularly mown but areas of no-mowing are left to encourage wildlife and biodiversity. The ground is uneven, and can also be slippery if wet, please wear sensible footwear. No on-site seating is available, or shelter in event of inclement weather.

Additional information

There are no public toilets near to the cemetery, but cafes and pubs can be found nearby along the Wellingborough Road.

Max no of people per tour:

30

Est. tour duration:

1 hour(s) 0 minute(s)

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