St Woolos Cemetery facts for kids
Path within the older part of the cemetery
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| Details | |
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| Established | 1854 |
| Location |
48 Bassaleg Road, Newport, NP20 3PY
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| Country | Wales |
| Owned by | Newport City Council |
| Size | 14 acres (5.7 ha) |
St Woolos Cemetery is the main cemetery in Newport, Wales. It is also known as the Newport and St Woolos New Cemetery. This important site is about one mile west of Newport Cathedral.
The cemetery has four chapels and many beautiful memorials. Some of these date back to the early Victorian period. It was the first cemetery built and run by a town council in England and Wales. People still use it today for burials in Newport. You might even recognize it from TV shows like Doctor Who and Sherlock, which have filmed scenes here!
Contents
History of St Woolos Cemetery
In the early 1800s, the graveyard next to Newport Cathedral became very crowded. There was not enough space for new burials. This created a public health problem.
In 1842, a new cemetery opened on Clifton Road. But this one also filled up quickly. So, new plans were needed for burials in Newport.
Building a New Cemetery
Land was bought from the Tredegar Estate for a new cemetery. This new site was between Risca Road and Bassaleg Road. It became the first cemetery in Britain built by a local council. The first person buried here was a sailor named Cooper. This happened on July 1, 1854.
The old cathedral graveyard stopped being used for new burials in 1866. Other chapels in town also closed their graveyards by 1869. After that, almost all burials in Newport took place at St Woolos Cemetery. A second public cemetery opened in Christchurch, Newport in 1883.
Important Buildings at the Cemetery
St Woolos Cemetery has several important old buildings. Most of these are from the Victorian era. Only one of them is still used today.
The Cemetery Lodge
The original lodge was finished in 1855. It is made of stone. A blue plaque on its wall honors artist James Flewitt Mullock. He was also a clerk for the Newport and St Woolos Burial Board.
This building is no longer a home. It is now used as the cemetery office. You can find it at the main entrance on Bassaleg Road. There is a newer lodge on Risca Road, but it is not a listed building.
Anglican Chapel
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Outside view of the Anglican Chapel.
This chapel has a Gothic style. You enter it through a porch. It is one of two similar chapels that face each other near the main entrance. The Anglican chapel is the one on the east side. It has a pointed archway, typical of Gothic buildings.
This building was used as a chapel until 1997. Today, it is not used and has some debris inside.
Non-conformist Chapel
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Entry porch to the non-conformist chapel.
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View of the non-conformist chapel from the north east.
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Doorway with decorative patterns.
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View into the chapel from the entry.
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Inside the chapel, looking up into the cupola.
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Inside the chapel, showing the chancel and transept.
This chapel has a Romanesque style. It is the other chapel in the pair at the main entrance. Even though the two chapels are similar in size, they look quite different. The Non-conformist chapel has a round tower with a cone-shaped roof. Its porch has a rounded arch with a "dog's tooth" pattern.
Like the Anglican Chapel, this building was used until 1997. It also appears to be unused today.
Roman Catholic Chapel
This chapel stands by itself in the cemetery. It is south of the Risca Road roundabout. Its windows have been bricked up. This building was recorded as "disused" in 1997.
Synagogue and Jewish Burial Ground
The Synagogue and Jewish cemetery are just outside the main cemetery. They are located in Coed-Melyn Park. The synagogue entrance is on Risca Road. This small, eight-sided building is an addition to an older Jewish chapel. That chapel opened in 1871. The building's small stained glass windows have a Star of David design.
The burial ground is behind the synagogue. It has large gravestones with Hebrew writing. Among these are Commonwealth war graves. These belong to an airman and three soldiers from World War II.
The synagogue building is no longer used for worship. The sacred Sifrei Torah scrolls were moved to an Israeli Jewish community in 2013. There is also a newer Jewish burial ground inside the main cemetery. It has a small, red-brick chapel. This newer burial ground is fenced off and locked.
Mortuary Chapel
The Mortuary Chapel is also a listed building. It is near the mortuary, between the two main entrances. Unlike the other chapels, you entered this one from the side. It has round "rose windows" on each end. These windows would have let light in, but they are now boarded up.
This chapel is no longer used for its original purpose. The building is showing signs of decay.
Eastern Entrance
The gates, pillars, and walls at the main entrance on Bassaleg Road are also listed. This entrance is where vehicles can drive into the cemetery.
Friends of St Woolos Cemetery
In 2019, a group called "Friends of St Woolos Cemetery" was formed. This group helps support the cemetery. It is a much-loved place in the city. It has a lot of art, history, and different plants and animals.
Notable People and Memorials
Many important people are buried here. The cemetery also has several notable memorials.
Newport Docks Disaster Memorial
The cemetery has a large granite monument. It remembers the victims of the Newport Docks disaster. On July 2, 1909, 39 men died. They were working on an extension to the Alexandra Dock when a wall collapsed. The men were trapped by mud and water.
At the bottom of the monument are three brass plaques. The first lists the names of the men who died. The second plaque has a poem called Soldiers of Industry. The third plaque explains that the memorial remembers "the 39 men who lost their lives in the Trench Disaster." The company that built the dock, Easton Gibb & Son, put up the memorial.
War Memorial
A Cross of Sacrifice war memorial stands between the two main chapels. It remembers local men who died in World War I. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission put it up. It honors 197 soldiers and sailors buried in this cemetery and in Christchurch cemetery.
Commonwealth War Graves
St Woolos Cemetery has war graves for 167 Commonwealth service members from World War I. It also has graves for 98 from World War II. In addition, there are 10 graves for foreign service members. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for all these graves.
World War I Graves
In 2018, Newport remembered those who died 100 years ago in World War I. More than 1500 names are known, and more are still being found. In 1921, Newport Council collected names of those who served and died. This information was published in a booklet called "The Newport Roll of Honour." The original records are now kept at Gwent Archives.
Researchers continue to find names that were missed. They also find interesting stories about those who died but were not included. Not all those buried here have an official headstone from the CWGC. Some, like Annie Brewer, are not yet recognized by this group. Others, like Florence Johnstone, died during war duties but do not qualify for official war dead status.
