Crookes Cemetery

Crookes Cemetery is a large municipal burial ground in the west of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, lying between the neighbourhoods of Crosspool and Crookes. It opened in 1906 and is a quiet green space with a layered local history, from a landowner's early burial to graves of wartime servicemen.

Where is Crookes Cemetery and how do you get in?

The cemetery sits on the western side of the city, between Crosspool and Crookes. The main entrance is on Headland Road, and there is an additional access point from Mulehouse Road. Both are ordinary residential streets, so most visitors arrive on foot from the surrounding neighbourhoods.

How big is it and when did it open?

The site covers about 29 acres (roughly 12 hectares) and officially opened in 1906. By 2009 more than 29,000 burials had taken place here. That scale makes it one of the more substantial cemeteries in the city, and it is still part of everyday life for the surrounding districts.

What is the story of the first burial?

The land was purchased by the city council, but the first burial happened about three years before the official opening. It was that of the landowner, John Maxfield, who received special permission from Sheffield Corporation to be laid to rest on the ground that later became the cemetery.

What about the chapel?

The cemetery chapel was built a couple of years after the opening. Its foundation stone was laid on 18 September 1908 by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Harry P. Marsh. The architects were C. and C.M. Hadfield. Local history archives hold records of the building work from that summer, which is useful if you want to dig deeper into the site's origins.

Are there war graves?

Yes. Around seventy graves here are those of armed services personnel who died in the First and Second World Wars. They are registered and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Sources differ slightly on the exact split, with one listing 35 graves from each war. Among them are two isolated Second World War graves of gunners killed in the Beighton rail disaster of 1942.

Is there any other memorial worth seeking out?

Near the main entrance there is a plaque commemorating the unknown Irish navvies who died while building the Totley Tunnel around 1880. It is a small but moving reminder of the human cost of Victorian railway engineering in the Sheffield area.

Tips for visiting

• Treat it as a working cemetery: keep voices low and respect funerals and mourners.
• Stick to the paths and avoid walking over graves.
• Visitors interested in history may enjoy looking for the war graves and the navvies' plaque.
• Check the council's current guidance for opening times before you go.

Frequently asked questions

When was Crookes Cemetery opened? In 1906.

How large is it? About 29 acres.

Which entrances are there? The main one is on Headland Road, with another from Mulehouse Road.

Are there Commonwealth war graves? Yes, around seventy from both world wars.