In January 2024 a new project was launched at Longden Road Cemetery in Shrewsbury as the result of a successful National Lottery Heritage Fund grant. This was awarded to the ‘Friends of Shrewsbury Cemeteries’ (a longstanding group of volunteers who help to manage the site for wildlife) in conjunction with Shrewsbury Council and Caring for God’s Acre. The project, ‘Heritage to Inspire’ will run for three years with the aims of restoring, interpreting and celebrating the rich social heritage and biodiversity of Longden Road.
The 30-acre site is something of a hidden gem. It was originally laid out in 1856 as a ‘garden of remembrance’ with sinuous curving paths, avenues of lime trees and pairs of upright, Irish yews. The monuments reflect the diverse history and prospects of the people of Shrewsbury; some gravestones small and humble, others architecturally ornate pinnacles of granite and marble.
The graves rise out of what is essentially an extensive wildflower meadow, which buzzes and hums with life throughout the spring and summer, until it is cut in early Autumn. The cemetery has been designated as a Local Wildlife Site on account of its wildflowers, and also its fungi.
The project aims to invite local people to step inside the cemetery to discover more about this treasure on their doorstep. The aim is to appeal to a diverse audience through a series of free, monthly walks and talks to include: evening bat walks, moth releases, mammal tracking, wildflower folklore, fungi walks and strolls to enjoy morning bird song.
Other aspects of the project include a community outreach programme, habitat assessments for possible species reintroductions, restoration of one of the monuments, conservation management and a series of trails and leaflets to enable people to take self-guided walks at their leisure.
There are several different ways to get involved with the project, please email [email protected] for more information:
- Conservation management The Friends of Shrewsbury Cemeteries meet on a fortnightly basis to carry out conservation management work and survey the diverse species that make Longden Road cemetery their home. They are a small, friendly group and there is no minimum time commitment, please get in touch if you are interested in coming along.
- Monument recording. There is an ongoing monument recording project at the site, with over 3000 graves now surveyed.You can either take a plot to record at your leisure, or join in with our regular group who meet on a Monday to record inscriptions. The records will be uploaded onto an interactive map which will become an invaluable resource for the public to research family members or Shrewsbury history. If you would like more information please get in touch.
- Lives at Longden Community Art Project. There are over 370 different species recorded at Longden Road Cemetery, everything from mammals and moths to wildflowers, birds, insects and fungi. We are looking for creative people to help us bring these to life by illustrating the different species, with a view to holding a final, community exhibition in 2027.
- Walks, talks & events. If you would like to be on the mailing list for events at the cemetery please email: [email protected].