Historic England grants £26,000 to Newcastle cemeteries plan

Historic England said Westgate Hill cemetery was at risk from invasive weeds, scrub growth and vandalism

Two Victorian cemeteries in Newcastle will become what a preservation trust says will be "more welcoming" after a £26,000 grant was approved.

Historic England has awarded the funds to Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust (TWBPT) for schemes at St John's and Westgate Hill cemeteries.

Both are on its Heritage at Risk register due to their poor repair and being used for anti-social behaviour.

TWBPT said it would run "local heritage and wellbeing" projects.

Historic England said both cemeteries were Grade II listed in "recognition of their architectural and historic importance".

A spokesman said cemeteries played "a valuable role as green spaces, particularly in urban areas where many people do not have access to a garden or local park".

He added Victorian burial grounds were "similar in design to public parks from the same period and can provide many of the same mental and physical health benefits, as well as providing a haven for wildlife".

St John's Cemetery in Elswick is also part of the project

They also "provide an important record of the social history of the area with each cemetery offering a biography of its community", the spokesman added, with the diversity of Newcastle's West End "reflected in the many cultures, nationalities and religions of the people buried in St John's and Westgate Hill".

The TWBPT's Westgate Cemeteries Project has been co-funded by Newcastle City Council and will involve various schemes over the next year "to make the sites welcoming and thriving community spaces".

The project will also create a Friends group to "take forward the restoration and custodianship of the sites", a spokesman said.

Sara Rushton, Heritage at Risk project officer at Historic England, said: "These beautiful Victorian cemeteries have huge potential to benefit the local community."

Kari Vickers, deputy manager at TWBPT, said: "We are pleased to be delivering this initiative with Newcastle City Council co-creating engagement activities with local communities to discover the potential of these spaces."

Mark Thurston, facilities and client relationship manager at Newcastle City Council, said: "We want to ensure the long-term survival of these valuable green spaces and key heritage assets which tell stories about the people who lived in, worked in, visited and died in the city."