Grave Concerns - Tours of Northampton’s Billing Road Cemetery, disused but much loved!
Billing Road Cemetery (rear entrance), 36 South Terrace, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 5JY
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. It was then a fashionable ‘Garden Cemetery’ sited on the very edge of the Victorian town, and proved so popular that an extension to the cemetery was added in the late 19th Century. Workers and illustrious citizens are buried here, including Caroline Chisholm, W.J. Bassett-Lowke and perhaps most colourfully, Robert Fossett and his family, of Fossett’s Circus! 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. We shall explain its original layout, cemetery architecture (some lost, some found!), and describe some of the charismatic characters associated with this dilapidated but tranquil green oasis, now located deep within the modern town. We shall also reveal The Friends’ vision for the future of this cherished cemetery, conservation of its historic remains and enhancement of its natural heritage, working closely with WNC. Stout footwear is recommended for the tour, which will take approximately 1 hour. Arrive in style - on 14th September we hope to include tours of this cemetery as a stop-off on the classic bus tours offered by Northampton Transport Heritage!
Timings & Tours
- Saturday 14 September:
- 10.00am, 11.30am, 2.00pm
- Sunday 15 September:
- 11.30am, 2.00pm
Location & directions
Billing Road Cemetery (rear entrance), 36 South Terrace, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN1 5JY
- Directions:
- NOTE: The guided tours will start at the MAIN GATE along Billing Road (not at the cemetery’s postal address)! There is no onsite parking, but parking can sometimes be found in neighbouring streets. On 14th September we hope to include tours of this cemetery as a stop-off on the classic bus tour routes offered by Northampton Transport Heritage.
- 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.
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)
