The photo above shows the ‘sylvan glen’ that is/was Castle Street d.b.g.
Before getting onto to some more general points about Sculcoates (see blog 5/4/20) I list a few extracts from the Parks and Burials Committee minutes relevant to Trippett disused burial grounds (see previous blogs);
- 1885 – ‘big lads’ throwing stones from Trippett St. d.b.g. and breaking windows in the Charter House Board School nearby (it was always ‘lads’ never lasses in those days, much of this building survives).
- As well as municipal parks and cemeteries members of the Committee made annual inspection visits to disused burial grounds.
- 1894 three seats installed (I’m sure that for ‘seats’ we can read benches, this a reminder that d.b.g.s were made into places of resort and reflection).
- May 1896 Castle Street and Trippett ‘thrown open for the season and planted as usual’. This further evidence of the above.
- ‘Man’ in each d.b.g. issued with a ‘municipal cap’ (evidence of an employee deployed in each d.b.g.).
- 1898 Trippett open to the public every afternoon in summer, including Sundays.
- 1903 500 bedding plants needed for Trippett.
- 1908 question of legalising the interment of cremated remains in closed cemeteries discussed in Committee (this after the newly-built crematorium on Hedon Road become the country’s first municipal crematorium). The Committee rejected the idea.
Finally a minute relating to Holy Trinity’s disused graveyard – In 1917 there was damage to one corner of the perimeter wall of the graveyard as a result of an enemy air-raid (one of the zeppelin raids). I think it was the south-east corner but I didn’t note the details).