Burngreave Cemetery

Burngreave Cemetery is one of the first public cemeteries in Sheffield, England, a Victorian burial ground in the north of the city that now works as a quiet green space with a strong sense of local history. It is a registered park and garden at Grade II, and its pair of chapels is listed separately at the same grade.

Why was Burngreave Cemetery created?

In the mid-19th century the churchyards of industrial Sheffield were running out of room. Complaints about overcrowding and about pollution reaching local water supplies pushed the authorities to look for burial space outside the old parish grounds. The Brightside Burial Board answered by creating a new cemetery in the township of Brightside Bierlow, which is why the site was first known as Brightside Bierlow Cemetery. Construction took place in 1859–60, and the cemetery opened around 1860–61; sources give both years.

How was the land acquired?

The ground came from two major landowners, the Duke of Norfolk and Earl Fitzwilliam. About 27 acres were bought at a price of £200 per acre. Later, in 1900, Sheffield City Council took over responsibility for the cemetery and added a further nine acres to it.

What is there to see?

The most notable buildings are the two mortuary chapels designed by William Flockton & Son. One served the Church of England and the other was used by Nonconformist congregations, a pairing typical of Victorian municipal cemeteries, which had to serve every denomination in the community. The chapels are no longer in use and were boarded up to protect them from damage. The site also has a war memorial, and the older parts of the cemetery contain the weathered headstones and monuments of generations of Sheffield families.

Can people still be buried there?

Burngreave was a major burial site for the city until the 1960s. After that, no new graves were created. Burials now take place only for families who already own a plot, and only where the grave still has space.

Who looks after its history?

A volunteer group, the Friends of Burngreave Chapel & Cemetery, was formed to make the cemetery and chapel buildings accessible to everybody. Anyone tracing family history can also turn to Sheffield Records Online, which hosts around 11,000 records from Burngreave Cemetery.

Is Burngreave Cemetery worth a visit?

It suits visitors who enjoy Victorian heritage, local history and genealogy, and those who simply want a calm walk away from the busier parts of Sheffield. Treat it as a place of remembrance: keep to the paths, stay respectful around graves and memorials, and do not disturb the monuments. Because the chapels are closed, they are best admired from the outside.

Frequently asked questions

When was Burngreave Cemetery built? It was constructed in 1859–60 and opened around 1860–61.

Who designed the chapels? William Flockton & Son designed the two mortuary chapels, one Anglican and one Nonconformist.

Is the cemetery heritage listed? Yes. The cemetery is a Grade II registered park and garden, and the chapels are separately listed at Grade II.

Are new burials still carried out? Only for families who already own a plot with space remaining. No new graves have been created since the 1960s.

Can I go inside the chapels? No. They are closed and boarded up, so they can only be viewed from outside.

Where is it? In the north of Sheffield, in the Burngreave area, at roughly 53.40° N, 1.46° W.