Display marks 170 years of historic burial ground

A display marking 170 years since a burial ground's formal consecration is on show at a library.

A plan of the foundations of the Mortuary Chapel at Wednesfield Burial Ground and archaeolgical finds are all on display at Wolverhampton's Central Library.

As part of the project, the Friends of Wednesfield Burial Ground is appealing for memories of the chapel, which stood at the site from 1861 until its demolition in 1960. Anyone with recollections or family stories has been encouraged to share them.

Photographs, a diorama imagining the view through "long lost cemetery gates" and a stencilled tile installation are among the items which can be seen until Thursday.

The tile installation was designed and created in a community workshop inspired by Victorian tile stencilling techniques.

The diorama was co-created by members of Wednesfield History Society.

This "imagines the view through the long lost cemetery gates from Cemetery Road, based on contemporary newspaper articles, oral histories, maps, and archaeological finds", City of Wolverhampton Council said.

The exhibition "shines a spotlight on an important piece of our city's heritage", the authority added.

Project manager Marie Sewell said: "The project aims to engage the community and raise awareness of the burial ground's significance in Wednesfield's history for generations to come."

The scheme is supported by volunteer community group Hands on Wednesfield and Creative Black Country. It was also backed by Wednesfield History Society, St Thomas' Church, Wolverhampton City Archives, Central Library, Wolverhampton Art Gallery and the council.

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