£1.5m Refurbishment of Wrexham Cemetery Could Begin This Summer

Works on the £1.5 million refurbishment at Wrexham cemetery could start in August as tender documents are now being finalised.

The renovation works of Wrexham Cemetery, located on 140 Ruabon Road, were first mooted in 2014 when a bid to restore the historic Victorian facility was submitted.

It was later confirmed that the bid had been successful and a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant of £1.2 million would be invested into restoring the building.

The cemetery, which is on the register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Wales, is one of the finest examples of a Victorian cemetery in Wales – with a well preserved “gardenesque” cemetery landscape typical of the time it was created.

Currently the buildings are on the at risk register of the local authority and is in urgent need of restoration and improvement.

The works will see the restoration of the Grade II chapels and lodge that have been closed to the public due to safety concerns. There will also be works to the grounds, paths, entrance areas and listed fencing which will improve access whilst retaining the gardenesque quality of the cemetery.

Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for the Environment and Transport, said: “The works should start in August and will take until early 2017 to complete. There will be some disruption to those who wish to visit the cemetery during the works as the main entrance will need to be closed to allow for the refurbishment of the Grade II listed chapel, entrance areas and lodge.

“We will do our utmost to ensure that inconvenience will be kept to a minimum and users can be assured that once completed, access will be improved and the buildings, entrances and fencing will be restored to their former condition.”