Historic cemetery awarded listed status

Historic England said Barrow Cemetery was "an excellent example of a Victorian municipal cemetery"

A cemetery known for its war graves and memorials to celebrated people in Cumbria has been awarded Grade II listed status.

Barrow Cemetery, which was designed in the 1870s, is already home to several Grade II listed buildings and the site "reflects the town's rich military, social and economic history", Historic England said.

The cemetery is the final resting place of ice cream cafe entrepreneur Luigi Brucciani and evangelist Elizabeth Longstaff, who helped to establish the Salvation Army's work in the US.

Historic England praised the site for its "creative design and high-quality buildings" and added it was of "clear national significance".

Barrow Cemetery is known for its war graves and memorials to some of Cumbria's most celebrated people

Barrow Cemetery was designed by landscape architect Edward Kemp and was described as "an excellent example of a Victorian municipal cemetery", Historic England said.

Overlooking Walney Island and the Duddon Estuary, the site has a Roman Catholic chapel, entrance lodges and gates which are Grade II listed.

Another listed monument includes a grave honoured to James Gall, who was one of five men rescued by Grace Darling when the SS Forfarshire sank off the coast of Northumberland in 1838.

The grave of Sir James Ramsden, an industrialist and engineer who helped to establish Barrow town, is also Grade II listed.

Among the graves is a 10ft (3m) lighthouse which pays tribute to James Gall and heroine Grace Darling

Sarah Charlesworth, from Historic England, said: "Barrow Cemetery is an excellent example of a Victorian municipal cemetery and it is deserving of its place on the National Heritage List for England.

"Its creative design, high-quality buildings and the way its monuments reflect the town's rich military, social and economic history make it a site of clear national significance."

It has been added to the register of historic parks and gardens.

Historic England encouraged anyone with stories about Barrow Cemetery and its site to get in touch as part of its Missing Pieces Project.