London Road Cemetery

Hi Foxcote. Wish I could have met you there, I could have added more to your day. Try Friends of London Road Cemetery website or e-mail info@lrcemetery.co.uk Regards Robthu.

Thanks Robthu, I have just had a good look at the site, beautiful photos, the snow scenes were lovely. I didn't think to tell you about us going, it was one of those 'spur of the moment' affairs. We went to the other part in error first and then we found Andy Garner working and he told us where to find the old chapel. We had a good chat with him because we know some of the old Co-op stone-masons (Sid and 'Erc) and then went away to find the tree. We had only just got to the old part and Andy came to find us and show us the way which was great of him. Obviously, due to the picture of yours, it wasn't hard to spot. We couldn't believe how beautiful it was in there and I took some lovely shots with the dappled light and the falling leaves. We shall return to see the tree and the rest in the different seasons and I will inform you next time. I should have liked to have stayed a bit longer, looking at the graves but it makes my husband a bit too sad to dwell for long. We rang Sid up and went round for a cup of tea and told him all about it. He told us that one day he was working in there with 'Erc and they locked the gates and he was shut in, he had to cross a bridge in the heavy truck that was really closed for driving over due to it's poor condition to get to the open gate the other side or he would have had to have stayed all night! I was discussing the bombing and Sid said that you can see the chips on some of the grave stones where the bombs exploded and the shrapnel hit them. So, all in all, it was a special afternoon

Whilst visiting Coventry recently, we looked for gravestone of Nancy Smith who died 5th March 1944 - Square 282, No.82. Armed with the cemetery map, we entered via the Cheylesmore Gate, turned immediately right, then first left. Square 282 is shown as being on both sides of this path. We spent as much time as we could, walking up and down, but couldn't find any marker numbers. We are hoping to be in Coventry again in the next few days, and wondered if anyone could point in the right direction as to what the markers look like. Thanks for your help. Penny.

Do you have the version of the cemetery map which has individual graves marked on it or the somewhat crude sketch plan with the square numbers written on a cross-hatched background?

I have the version with the square numbers on a cross-hatched background. Thanks. Penny.

You need to get the printout of the grave layout which includes the relevant square. I had copies made of the older section (city side of the railway line) from the Local Studies section of the Central Library when they had temporary premises by the canal basin, though I have read somewhere that The Herbert (who should have received the material once the new history studies section opened) denied that they had the plans. If that is the case, contact Bereavement Services at Canley Crematorium and they should be able to help.

Thanks very much for that. I'll give it a go. Fingers crossed! Penny.

Hello all, Can you tell me where these two photos were taken and what caused the damage? Enjoy trying to figure out the mystery. Steve.

Probably way, way out, but London Road cemetery? The first photo looks like a gravestone, and I believe it was damaged during the war. Paxton Memorial?

Well done Flapdoodle, it was indeed London Road cemetery. Here is the area where one bomb fell. The damage on the pillar is from the Joseph Paxton Memorial, which suffered a glancing blow probably from the fin of a bomb. Steve

Made a brief visit this morning during some welcome sunshine, and captured these images in a very peaceful place

Beautiful MR, thank you for capturing those moments for us.

I agree Dreamtime, I have been to the cemetery several times now, in different seasons and I've always been delighted with the experience, so thanks to MR for sharing the day

This site contains photographs of many memorials and gravestones in the old part of London Road Cemetery

Hi fellow forum members. You last heard from me, Robthu, back on 8th November 2012 concerning the London Road Cemetery and a beech tree. Since then Foxcote and I have been on a long arduous journey to try to unravel this story. We probably made more mystery than what we solved, particularly concerning Mr. James Weare, and there is still a lot more to be done with that. But we have decided to put the story that we have put together up for your pleasures, and with the help of Rob Orland it has been put together in the article below - see what you think. Beech tree article