Sheffield General Cemetery: Catacombs to be surveyed

The vaults of the catacombs are to be surveyed by engineers

Catacombs at a Sheffield cemetery are set to be investigated as part of conservation work taking place.

The catacombs are at Sheffield General Cemetery, which is a listed landscape on the English Heritage National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

The work will look at the 19th Century stone vaults, checking the impact a concrete structure added in the 1930s may have made.

More than 87,000 people were buried at the cemetery between 1836 and 1978.

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The six-hectare (15-acre) site was created in response to overcrowding and poor conditions in Sheffield's churchyards, and is home to the graves of George Bassett, the founder of Bassett's Sweets, and steel manufacturer Master Cutler and Lord Mayor of Sheffield Mark Firth.

The main entrance to Sheffield General Cemetery, which opened in 1836

Sheffield City Council said there was very little risk of disturbance to burials during the works, but out of respect to the sensitivity of the catacombs, the project would be carried out under the supervision of an archaeologist.

Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure, said: "We are delighted to see this long-planned project now actively safeguarding the special heritage of Sheffield General Cemetery.

"The catacombs are a fascinating and unique part of Sheffield's history and this activity is a crucial part our conservation plans.

"The National Lottery project allows us to enhance and protect one of the city's finest historical assets and will enable more people from a wider range of communities to discover everything that makes Sheffield General Cemetery special."

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