A guided tour of Loxley Cemetery by the Friends of Loxley Cemetery.

There are some magnificent and interesting monuments in the cemetery, as well as 22 victims of the Great Flood of 1864 and a connection to the Titanic. The cemetery contains over 5000 graves. Loxley chapel and cemetery date back to the late 18th Century and the cemetery is still open for burials in existing plots, although no further plots are being sold. The chapel closed in 1993 with the building gradually deteriorating into a ruinous state over the years. The churchyard, which surrounds the chapel on all sides, had become seriously overgrown.

Courtesy of Friends of Loxley Cemetery

The Friends of Loxley Cemetery have spent the last 4 or so years clearing the very neglected cemetery, and it’s now almost all visible. The chapel has a long history; it was constructed in 1787, with the first recorded baptism being in 1798 and the first recorded burial in 1806. They have records for burials, baptisms and marriages.

Walking round the cemetery: There are no facilities at all at the cemetery – no toilets and not even shelter from the rain, so please come dressed for all weathers and bring some water to drink. The main paths are easy to follow, but only the drive from Loxley Road to the chapel has a hard surface. The paths can be muddy and slippery at times, and we will be walking up some uneven steps, so it is advisable to wear sensible footwear. Also please watch out for trip hazards – fallen gravestones, hidden dips and holes in the ground, hidden stones, tree stumps, brambles and ivy roots. Although the volunteers do their best to keep the cemetery clear, nettles and brambles grow at an alarming rate!

Please keep away from any cordoned-off areas, especially around the chapel ruins; also, please keep at least 15m away from any volunteers using power tools. Some of the headstones on the graves may be unstable – take care!

Starting point:  2.00pm immediately inside the main gates on Loxley Road. Please note that Wisewood Cemetery is also on Loxley Road but closer to Hillsborough, and before the Admiral Rodney pub. Please don’t go to the wrong cemetery!

How to get there: Loxley Cemetery, Loxley Road, Sheffield S6 6RL – Buses: the 61/62 route to Low Bradfield and the new 52a route around Wisewood which goes via Rodney Hill. The bus stop is almost opposite the Admiral Rodney pub. – The cemetery is walkable from the Malin Bridge tram terminus; it would take about 30 minutes. – By car: you can park on Loxley Road (B6077) by the big gates to the cemetery. Google shows it as being ‘Loxley United Reformed Churchyard’. The nearest places for refreshments are the two local pubs, both of which open at midday so you may wish to arrive earlier to have some lunch. There’s the Admiral Rodney which is nearest the cemetery