Garden of Memory at Warstone Lane Cemetery

Did you know that there used to be funerary chapel at Warstone Lane Cemetery? Dedicated to St Michael and All Angels, it was built from 1847 to 1848, but was badly damaged during WW2 and was demolished in the 1950s. During the 2019 to 2021 restoration works, the site was found again, and was turned into a Garden of Memory. Railings and gates removed during the war was also replaced.

Garden of Memory

Warstone Lane Cemetery Chapel was dedicated to St Michael and All Angels, and was the funerary chapel, which once dominated the landscape. It had stained glass windows manufactured by the Chance Brothers. It was built around 1847 to 1848. It was demolished in the 1950s having been damaged by bombing of the Jewellery Quarter during WWII. The cemetery was already in decline, and damage can still be seen on many memorials in this part of the cemetery. Restoration work took place from 2019 to 2021, and the footprint of the chapel was recreated as a Garden of Memory, so it can once again be served as a space for the community to congregate, contemplate and celebrate life.

Photos below taken during January 2022. Headed into the cemetery via the open gate on Pitsford Street on Saturday 15th January 2022, while checking out Hockley Mills near Jewellery Quarter Station.

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Vyse Street Gate

The cemetery was originally surrounded by cast-iron gothic railings which were removed in the post war period, when the chapel was demolished. The railings and gate posts were replaced during the 2019 to 2021 restoration works. The Vyse Street frontage has new cast-iron railings which were matched to the original design using archival drawings and confirmed by small pieces found during the restoration work.

Photos below taken during January 2022.

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View below of the new painted railings and stone pilars on Vyse Street, seen during August 2020.

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View below of the new painted railings on Warstone Lane, seen during November 2020.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown