Bishopwearmouth Cemetery

What is now Bishopwearmouth Cemetery (opens new window) initially comprised of 34 acres of glebe land purchased from the Dean and Chapter of Durham at a cost of £275 per acre and was opened in May 1856 at a cost of £2,000.

The cemetery was laid out so that different denominations and communities from the surrounding parishes had places of interment allocated to them. In 1888 a further 18.5 acres were added. As at 2010, Bishopwearmouth Cemetery covered 80 acres.

Young victims of the 1883 Victoria Hall disaster are among those buried in the cemetery and a marble monument to the tragedy stood in the grounds until 2000 when it was restored and erected in Mowbray Park with a new canopy.

A section of the cemetery was also dedicated to war heroes, which contains 237 Commonwealth burials from the First World War and 156 from Second World War.

Notable People buried at Bishopwearmouth Cemetery

William Canon Cockin was the rector of Bishopwearmouth until 1883 and died in 1889. William introduced congregation collections in order to keep his church afloat.

Lewis Bittlestone - a soldier with the 7th Battalion DLI. He was awarded the Military Medal in December 1916 but died of war wounds in October 1918.

William Riddle - a 30 year old colliery filler, injured by stone fall at Silksworth Colliery on 5 March 1925. He died on 17 March 1927.

Opening times

Whilst cemetery gates are not formally closed and public access is available without restriction, we recommend that, for safety reasons, cemeteries are accessed during daylight hours only.

Ward plans

Ward plans are available for Bishopwearmouth Cemetery.