Location/Direction

Pontefract Cemetery is easily accessible to the visitor on foot, being situated within easy walking distance of the town centre. The main gates are sited at the junction of Skinner Lane and the narrow thoroughfare known as Headlands Lane. For the historian, the ruins of Pontefract Castle which played its part so well in our bloody history, are only ten minutes walk away. The nearest motorway exit is Junction 32 on the M62.  

For many decades, the large imposing building of Headlands Hospital overlooked the cemetery from its site on Skinner Lane. Known locally by the older generation as "The Workhouse", this establishment with its view of the cemetery must have been a daunting prospect for any would-be patient.

Statistics 

First Burial 
Name:- Mary Wilson
Address:-  Northgate, Pontefract
Date of Burial:- 1 August 1859
Aged:-  30 years
Size of Cemetery  Approximately 13 Acres  

Information

Opened in 1859 on the outskirts of the growing town, the cemetery occupies a large area, which contains an abundance of absorbing features. Passing through the original wrought iron entrance gates with their imposing stone pillars, one is confronted by a delightful stone built lodge with its heavy church-style entrance door. This dwelling which is now in private ownership and a listed building, is an indication of the importance, which our ancestors placed on such establishments.

To compliment this building, the cemetery is enhanced by the very impressive and extremely ornate chapels, which stand in pride of place, overlooking the whole site. Although funeral services no longer take place in the chapels, the building remains a most spectacular piece of architecture.  

The cemetery has benefited enormously from vigorous tree planting by our forbearers and now boasts a large variety of mature and beautiful species. A quantity of large ornate and interesting memorials adorn the wooded expanse of the old burial ground, and the numerous paths which criss-cross at regular intervals assist in creating an area of sylvan charm. A most impressive cemetery with a wealth of interest.

The cemetery now provides a facility for the interment of cremated remains in a small memorial garden.