Ilkeston Town Walk - Stage 05 - Around
Park Cemetery
w/e 12 January 2003
The pictures on the page this
week were taken at various times throughout the year which accounts
for why some have leaves on the trees and others don't.
Leaving 'Illy 'Olies (Town Walk - Stage 04)
we cross the road to the Park Cemetery. Although the first burial
took place here in the 1892, the cemetery's chapel was not built
until 1910.
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Standing just inside the cemetery gates is a memorial inscribed
thus: "This cross of sacrifice is one in design and intention
with those which have been set up in France and Belgium and other
places in the world where our dead of the Great War are laid
to rest." The building standing directly across the
road ('Illy 'Olies is to the right) is now Brooklands Nursing
Home but for many years it was the town's maternity home and
called Parkhurst. This is where both myself and my wife along
with many other Ilkestonians began that great adventure we know
as "life".
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The cemetery is situated on an area of
land that once formed a large park down to the River Erewash.
'Illy 'Olies (Chaucer Old Park) is the remains of that park but
the hills and holes caused by mineral extraction from which the
name is derived could possibly be the reason for the undulating
landscape within the cemetery too. Originally the cemetery had
plots for "first, second and third class" citizens.
Wildlife has no such distinctions and grey squirrels can often
be seen scampering between the headstones. There are also many
bird boxes attached to the trees.
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Leaving the cemetery and standing on the
corner with the ex-maternity home on the left and the cemetery
gates to the right, many people will be familiar with this view
towards 'Illy 'Olies looking particularly attractive here in
this photo taken after a snowfall during the winter of 2002.
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Standing on that same corner far fewer
people would be aware of the cast iron fingerpost sign immediately
behind them. Made locally at what was the Stanton Ironworks,
the sign bears a crest with words "Borough of Ilkeston".
Pictured here in contrasting seasons, this composite shows it
is dwarfed by trees and an adjacent lighting column so that the
unwary would pass by without giving it a second glance. I believe,
as it is part of our heritage that it deserves one, hence the
two images.
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Our route now takes us away from the cemetery
along the tree lined Park Avenue. Taken this weekend from near
to its junction with Park Road and Park Drive this picture in
dull damp and cold weather, , nonetheless presents a good view
of the chapel before leaf growth obscures it until the autumn.
Other stages of the "Town Walk" may be seen by following
the links from the Archives page.
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