Restoration works on Victorian cemetery in Wrexham now complete

Works on a £1.5 million of a historic Victorian cemetery in Wrexham are now complete.

The renovations on the Grade II listed Wrexham Cemetery on Ruabon Road began in the late summer of 2016, with the aim of returning the cemetery to its original Victorian, gardenesque roots.

The cemetery is thought to be one of the finest examples of a Victorian cemetery in Wales with a well preserved “gardenesque” landscape which was typical of the time it was built in the 1870s at a cost of £5,000.

In 2014 it was announced that Wrexham Council had been successful in its bid for a National Lottery grant (through the Heritage Lottery Fund), with a total of £1.5 million spent to conserve the listed buildings, refurbish the listed fencing and entrances; along with research and displaying the history of the site.

At the time of the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund the buildings were on the buildings at risk and were in need of restoration and improvement.

Works have now been completed and the cemetery was officially reopened on Monday by the Mayor of Wrexham, Cllr Andy Williams.

Speaking after a tour of the restoration and conservation works the mayor said: “It’s been a very impressive project and the work has been completed to a very high standard.

“Everyone should be very proud of the work undertaken and the legacy they have left in the community.”

Malcolm Smith, Heritage Lottery Fund committee member, said: “This has been a truly fascinating restoration project and the finished cemetery that we can see today is the result of a lot of hard work over a number of years.

“Without people playing the National Lottery this just wouldn’t have been possible, and Wrexham wouldn’t now have this important Victorian landmark preserved for their community and future generations.

“Thank you National Lottery players.”

The community involvement, which played a large part in the National Lottery funding bid, will continue through the work of the Cemetery Development Officer to create a strong link with the local community.

Local Member, Cllr Alun Jenkins, said: “The cemetery has been a huge project for the area and everyone involved has shown genuine commitment and passion for the cemetery and I look forward to finding out even more about who is buried here and their significance to the local area.

“The enthusiastic support of the National Lottery has been very much appreciated and I would like to thank them as without their help this project would never have gone ahead.”

Lead Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr David A Bithell, thanked National Lottery players when the opening took place. He said: “Without the generous funding of National Lottery players these beautiful buildings would still be at risk and the history of those buried here would be a mystery to us all.

“I would like to pass on my thanks to everyone who buys a National Lottery ticket, and to everyone involved with this great project.”