Heritage group with grave concerns

It has been set up under the Heritage and Tourism development group (HAT) banner to look into the history of the 1846 established North Warren site on Ropery Road and the Gainsborough General, which was opened in 1876.

Sue Edlington who will coordinate the new group, said: "We are trying to record a lot of the interesting gravestones that are in the general cemetery.

"The group hopes to make people more aware of what we have in Gainsborough."

The first group event will be held during the West Lindsey Churches Weekend on May 12 and 13, when the Grade 2 listed chapel in the General cemetery will be opened to the public on Saturday only from 10am to 4pm.

There will be a small exhibition and cemetery walks in the afternoon, with plans afoot to take part in a Pioneers and Explorers heritage weekend in September.

Both town cemeteries are set to come under the control of the Gainsborough Town Council this year, after being managed by WLDC from 1974.

In the future the friends group hope to - open the chapel occasionally throughout the year, organise themed cemetery walks, arrange talks, organise historical research and an information 'help desk', study their bio diversity, produce publications and CD materials and leaflets, put on exhibitions, promote school programmes and visits, arrange trips to cemeteries with a friends group and design a website to promote and apply for grants to help in further work.