Need for new Spalding cemetery as space at existing site in Pinchbeck Road fills up

The search is on to find potential new sites for a cemetery in Spalding.

South Holland District Council says that Spalding Cemetery is not running out of space ‘any time soon’ with 200 available plots.

The Pinchbeck Road cemetery has been providing the last resting place for people from all walks of life since the 1850s.

Volunteers from Friends of Spalding Cemetery and South Holland District Council have transformed the cemetery over the last year.

Coun Rodney Grocock, portfolio holder for assets and planning, said: “As with all growing towns of Spalding’s size, it is important to do everything possible to ensure our infrastructure can cope with the demands upon it, now and into the future.

“It is not anticipated that the existing cemetery will run out of space anytime soon but, given that it has been in use for almost 170 years and that it may take some time to find a suitable new location, the council is beginning the initial process to identify potential future sites.”

Additional space has been found at the cemetery thanks to the hard work of volunteers and council workers in recent years.

Council figures show that there were 88 burials in 2020 and 2021.

The council also states that there were 201 burials between 2017 and 2021.

A further 22 additional spaces were found during the recent works which brings the current total of available spaces to 200. This does not include reserved plots.

Conservation and heritage portfolio holder Liz Sneath has been heavily involved with the cemetery.

She said: “When we undertook the work at the cemetery we found space.

“And when we researched in the records we also found spaces that can be used.”

Spalding Cemetery underwent a £200,000 renovation, which was completed last year.

The cemetery revealed some of its secrets during the project, with previously hidden graves revealed and the discovery of footstones which were used to create a poignant art work.

Over the course of 10 weeks, council workers and volunteers have been busy within the 20 acre site, which includes wildlife and grassy areas.

The stunning Johnson Mausoleum, which was originally built at Holland House in 1843 but later moved to the cemetery to act as a mortuary, has had its stone work cleaned along with that of the chapels and gateway structures.

Accessing the site has been made easier thanks to 1.2miles of resurfaced roadway along with passing places to improve traffic flow and 30 new parking spaces.

Trees which obstructing some of the roads have been ‘skirted’ to improve access. Dead trees and shrubs were removed.