Nottingham Road Cemetery

The Derby Burial Board was formed in 1853 to find cemetery space for the expanding population. Nottingham Road was the first municipal cemetery it created. The cemetery was originally a plot of 32 acres (13 hectares) between Nottingham Road (then the main route out of town to the east) and the Derby Canal. The grounds were laid out by James Lee of Hammersmith, London. The planting followed advice given by William Barron, the head gardener at Elvaston Castle. The ground was consecrated in April 1855 by the Bishop of Lichfield, John Lonsdale, leaving 8 acres (3.2 hectares) unconsecrated for Catholic and non-denominational burials. The cemetery opened on 1 May. Gardeners were employed to maintain the grounds, at least 11 in 1900. In 1880, the cemetery was expanded by 10 acres (4.0 hectares) in 1880, followed in 1898 by another 8 acres (3.2 hectares). Further extensions were made in 1921 and 1936.^[1]

The cemetery is still in use, owned and maintained by Derby City Council. A 21-hectare plot, mostly comprising the original cemetery and the 19th-century expansions but excluding the 20th-century sections, is listed at grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. Its historic interest is in the architecture of the buildings, by a prominent local architect, Henry Isaac Stevens, as well as the layout—the result of advice from the nationally renowned gardener William Barron—and in the extent to which the original layout survives.^[1]

The cemetery contains 342 war graves, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 195 from the First World War and 134 from the Second. There is a small plot of 40 graves clustered around a Cross of Sacrifice; the remainder are scattered throughout the cemetery.^[2]

The cemetery is located just over a mile (around 2 km) east of Derby Cathedral on undulating ground. The south-eastern boundary abuts the A52 dual carriageway, the Derby Canal having been filled in. To the west is an industrial estate, and the remaining boundaries are marked by a boundary wall running along Nottingham Road. The 20th-century extension is to the north, on the opposite of Nottingham Road. The higher parts of the grounds provide a clear view over Derby city centre to the west. The main entrance is to the north-west of the site. A recess in the boundary wall forms a driveway, which is spanned by a carriage arch, the main building in the cemetery. To the east is a maintenance entrance and to the south-east of the main entrance is a car park. The various entrances and buildings are served by a network of intersecting parallel paths. Along the main path from the carriage entrance is an avenue of mature trees.

A path connecting to the canal no longer exists but may have been used for the delivery of building materials and possibly funeral parties. The northerly parts of the cemetery are newer, rising uphill from the original plot and dating from the later 19th-century expansions. These are laid out in a grid shape marked with paths and trees.^[1]