Situated in Windlehsaw, St Helens cemetery was formally opened in 1858. Local architect Thomas Denville Barry was behind the design of two curved drives creating a heart shape, with paths leading off from them.
The first interment there had actually taken place in a private vault on 20th November the previous year and was that Mary Shanks. She was the wife of James shanks, a proprietor in the Crosfield and Shanks chemical company.
Either side of the entrance in Hard Lane stand two lodges, designed by John Middleton. They were initially built for the keeper of the grounds and resident clergyman. Barry designed three chapels for the cemetery although only the Church of England one survives. The footprint of the Roman Catholic chapel is still there as well as a memorial stone commemorating it.
Several grand monuments line the sides of the main driveway, including memorials marking the graves of family members of the Pilkington glass manufacturers. There are a number of war related burials in the cemetery, including a Victoria Cross recipient from the Indian Mutiny and several soldiers killed in the first and second world wars.
The cemetery was further extended in 1912 and in the late 1930s. In 1962 a crematorium and chapel of remembrance were opened, as well as memorial garden. Further expansion occurred in 2010, when the purchase of adjoining farmland ensured there was sufficient capacity until around 2040.
Grave plots in St Helens cemetery are available for up to three interments and it is also possible to purchase plots solely for the burial of cremated remains. The local authority restricts headstone size to three feet four inches by three feet and all memorials must be erected by BRAMM registered masons. They also do not allow kerbsets, chippings, toys or ornamentation, although a two by three feet garden containing small plants is allowed. Further information can be found here.
Sarsfield Memorials has been placing headstones in St Helens cemetery for sixty years. If you are considering erecting a memorial there, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your requirements, give guidance on their regulations and provide a free no obligation quote.