Openthe cemetery urgescllr Godfrey

THE Chord Cemetery must be open to the public for visiting, especially over the summer months, suggested Cllr Frank Godfrey, who recently witnessed a group of five tourists trying to gain entry to the graveyard to look for relatives.

‘People cannot gain entry to the graveyard, even during the day, and this is wrong! The same with St Mary’s cemetery – it should also be open for visitors and locals alike,’ he said.

Cllr Godfrey suggested that a CE scheme could employ cemetery caretakers who would open and lock the gates on a daily basis. ‘I am calling for the gates to be open from 8am – 8pm daily as we need to cater for visitors and tourists who may not have a phone for making local calls to look for a keyholder. The caretaker could also give tours or talks to visitors.’

‘ There are lots of stories associated with these cemeteries, for example, Collier the Robber in Chord Cemetery and Cromwell and his soldiers breaking into the town at St Mary’s cemetery.’

‘We have a richness of history and heritage here in our wonderful town, and we need to harness this and make it available – that includes opening these old cemeteries.’