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New burial area at Camberwell Old Cemetery

As residents will be aware, Southwark is short of space within its cemeteries. In April 2011 the Council decided to undertake a programme of works in the borough’s existing cemeteries to ensure that it could continue to provide a burial space for residents. It also under took a large consultation of residents about longer term options for burials. This consultation included identifying and prioritising plots in our cemeteries that could be brought back in to use.

Two parts of Camberwell Old Cemetery were identified in the initial programme to provide 'immediate' new burial provision. The first was a small area by the entrance to the cemetery (Site E) which is already back in use and the second area was a large area of common public burials along the cemetery's border with Wood Vale (Site F).

Earlier this week I went to visit the completed works at Site F. The old common graves (which were unmarked) have been topped up with extra soil and the area has been landscaped. New paths have also been put in. This picture hopefully gives a flavour of the quality of the work that has been done.
Like many residents I was unhappy about some of the proposals made for our cemeteries and I campaigned against the use of Honor Oak Rec for burials and helped to ensure that the area of Camberwell Old behind Ryedale was protected (Ryedale is Site H1 on the map and is no longer considered a 'short term option for burial'. It will only be considered again once all the medium term options at Camberwell Old and Camberwell New have been exhausted). However, I was supportive of the Council reusing some of the areas of common graves in Camberwell Old and think the work I saw this week is of high quality and is sympathetic to the character of Camberwell Old.

This second picture shows a glade in the new area that will not be reused and will instead have a memorial to those buried in the old common graves on the site. Again an example of the Council being sensible and working hard to retain the character of Camberwell Old.
I'll keep residents updated as further developments take place at both Camberwell Old and New.

Comments

  1. Does nobody Care that their relatives ate being buried on top of others. My dad was buried 13 th June 2014 and the grave wasn't even that deep and this is meant for two. It is disrespectful for both my father and the people underneath him

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  2. Except, that the small plot under the tree is NOT where 'the common unnamed folk were interred. What an insult to those in 'unmarked grave space' to be 'topped-over' with extra soil for today's 'named' interments? Perhaps, any new grave interred above 'the unnamed' should, out of respect, have inscribed on tabletures "This plot includes unnamed graves below".

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