Lawnswood Cemetery, Adel, Leeds, England
Record Id: 2027
The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.
HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT
In 1874 Headingley-cum-Burley Burial Board purchased land from the trustees of the will of Mrs H M Eddison at a cost of £2000 to provide for the burial needs of the expanding population of the suburbs of Headingley and Far Headingley. Located north-west of the town on the Leeds and Otley turnpike, the land selected was that part of an existing woodland called Lawns Wood just outside the municipal boundary (OS 1851). George Corson (1830-1910) designed the buildings and layout of the cemetery, assisted by the landscape gardener, William Gay (1814-93), designer of Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford (qv). Corson, who was one of the most prominent architects in Leeds, was the first president of the Leeds Architectural Society (founded 1876) and was re-elected as president of the renamed Leeds and Yorkshire Architectural Society in 1897-9. His design for the cemetery was intended to be 'simple and unpretending [sic] and of a character to harmonize with the surrounding scenery' (quoted in Leeds Historic Parks Inventory, 1996). It retained a border of trees around the cemetery and selected the finest tree specimens 'as permanent ornaments' (ibid). The cemetery opened in 1875 and, on 31 December of that year, the Church of England portion was consecrated by the Bishop of Ripon. The first burial took place on 23 January 1876. Intended as a local concern, a higher rate was charged to those applying from outside the districts of Headingley and Burley (Hinton MS notes, 2002).
The crematorium opened in 1905 at a cost of £3000 and was the first in Great Britain to use a gas cremator, initially supervised by French engineers who had evolved the method. Following the official opening of the crematorium, it was opened for public viewing at a cost of 3d (Hinton MS notes, 2002). The first cremation took place on 4 January 1905. Further extensions to the cemetery were made in the C20, with land purchased from W F Wormald in April 1908; land purchased from Sir H Beckett-Bacon in December 1919; and land purchased from J R Sherwood in April 1965 (Leeds Historic Parks Inventory, 1996). The cemetery remains open for burials and the interment of ashes and is currently (2002) managed by Leeds City Council, who purchased the cemetery from the Burial Board in 1972.
Site timeline
31/12/1875: The Church of England section was consecrated.
23/01/1876: The first burial took place.
04/01/1905: The first cremation took place.
1908: The cemetery was extended.
1919: The cemetery was extended.
1965: The cemetery was extended.
1972: Leeds City Council purchased the cemetery from the Burial Board.
People associated with this site
Architect: George Corson (born 1830 died 1910)
Designer: William Gay (born 1814 died 1893)
Features
religious, ritual and funerary features
Feature created: 1933
The columbarium, by Col A E Kirk and completed by Messrs Kirk and Tomlinson of Leeds, is a tall, single-storey building in Classical style, of red brick and Portland stone with pantile roof and marble detailing. It has a war memorial and tiers of niches containing cinerary urns and memorial plaques.
Designation status: English Heritage Listed Building Designation Grade II
tomb
Feature created: 1918
The fine memorial and grave of Sam Wilson (E Caldwell Spruce), in black marble surmounted by a tall angel in bronze.
Designation status: English Heritage Listed Building Designation Grade II
gate lodge
Feature created: 1876
Creator: George Corson (born 1830 died 1910)
The main cemetery lodge, designed by George Corson in Vernacular Revival style to incorporate a board room, retiring room, 'deadhouse', and outbuildings. The lodge was extensively reordered in 1907, possibly by W S Braithwaite.
Designation status: English Heritage Listed Building Designation Grade II
tomb
Feature created: 1908 to 1911
The fine memorials and graves of Arthur Currer Briggs (William Hamo Thornycroft 1908) and Ethel Preston (1911), in Italian marble with a life-size statue standing under a classical porch.
Designation status: English Heritage Listed Building Designation Grade II
island bed
Island beds filled with seasonal bedding plantings.
gate piers
The four substantial square stone gate piers, with pyramidal caps,are decorated with a simple square fret motif.
glade
An area known as the Woodland Glade.
drive
Memorial Flower Garden Drive
drive
The cemetery carriageway called Oak Drive.
serpentine path
A wide serpentine route lined with angled clay kerbs with attached memorial plaques.
tomb
Feature created: 1910
The gravestone of George Corson, the architect responsible for the concept and layout of the original cemetery.
ornamental bridge
A small brick and stone bridge.
rond point
A rondpoint situated some 75m west of the main entrance.
hedge
Clipped hedges in the shape of an arc frame the open area north-east of the columbarium.
stream
The stream that originally ran through the Lawns Wood.
specimen tree
A fine specimen of Cedrus deodara.
specimen tree
Cupressus specimens planted in a semicircular row.
religious, ritual and funerary features
Feature created: 1905
The crematorium, by W S Braithwaite, is attached to the southern end of the chapel group. At the north-west corner of the building a tall square tower with an octagonal 'belfry' stage houses the chimney flue.
boundary wall
entrance
A short recessed forecourt leads to a central carriage entrance and a pair of cast-iron gates, with two pedestrian entrances to either side.
specimen tree
Two fine copper beech specimens.
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