Dissenters Cemetery

Sir George Staunton generously gave a piece of his land in New Lane. One acre was used to provide for those of the Church of England under the control of St Faith’s Church and one quarter of an acre for Dissenters under the control of the Dissenters’ Chapel which later became the Congregational Church and then the United Reformed Church.

Between 1700 and 1800 many Independent Chapels were built either with graveyards attached, or with separate ones adjoining public churchyards. When a Church of England burial ground becomes full it can be declared ‘closed’ and the responsibility for its maintenance, but not control, can be transferred to the local authority and this is what has happened with the St Faith’s section. However there is no such provision for burial grounds of other denominations and therefore the Dissenters’ section remains the responsibility of the United Reformed Church. However in 1929 the council agreed to maintain it for a fee of £5 per year. Although £3 was paid in 1930 there is no record of any money being paid since and when this was realised in 2007 the council ceased to maintain it.