New chapel doors have been installed at Hailsham Cemetery in Ersham Road, just one of the many improvements carried out at the cemetery over the past year.
The new oak doors have been hand-made by a local craftsman and the original door furniture, including hinges and handles, were cleaned, repainted and reused.
Significant work has been carried out at the cemetery including the resurfacing of some of the footpaths – the remainder of which will completed over the next 2-3 years – involving the overlaying of all the paths with tarmac.
The commencement of footpath renewal work followed a series of other recent cemetery improvements, including the refurbishment of the New Garden of Remembrance with the re-laying of paving slabs, installation of a new weed membrane and new gravel.
Work was also carried out on the old chapel, with a full re-roof incorporating new slate tiles, guttering and leadwork, prior to the recent installation of new doors earlier this month.
Furthermore, some ground has been cleared and reclaimed at the south end of the cemetery.
“Hailsham Cemetery is a quiet, secluded burial ground run by the Town Council and maintained for maximum peace for those visiting loved ones,” said Councillor Trevor Powis, chairman of the Town Council’s Assets Management Committee.
“We want to ensure that our cemetery provides a fitting and appropriate place for people to visit their loved ones which is why we continue make improvements by carrying out any upgrades and repair work necessary on site. By doing this, we can ensure that the cemetery remains a place the community can be truly proud of.”
Hailsham Cemetery offers spaces for the burial of coffins, as well as two Gardens of Remembrance and a separate space available for the interment of cremated remains. The cemetery also includes an area for ‘meadowland burials’ – for unmarked ‘green’ burials in bio-degradable coffins with no monuments or headstones.
The cemetery grass is cut around the graves on a regular basis and to a generally high standard. The rest of the cemetery is maintained and repaired regularly by the Town Council’s Cemetery Superintendent, and the Council endeavours to inspect and assess the condition of the cemetery as often as possible.
Hailsham Cemetery is generally open from ‘dawn until dusk’. If you are intending to visit and wish to enquire about where a particular burial plot is, please call the Burials Officer on 01323 841702 (9am-4pm, Monday to Friday), who will be happy to assist. Alternatively send an email.
Terry Hall, Communications Officer
Hailsham Town Council, Market Street, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AE
Telephone: 01323 841702 | Email: terry.hall@hailsham-tc.gov.uk