The Garden of Remembrance shortly after it was opened in July 1927
Liverpool crematorium. 1896
Historical background
A famous municipal cemetery designed by Edward Kemp (1817-91) with buildings
by architects Lucy & Littler, laid out in 1856-63. Total cost including
land purchase was £150,000 and the first internment in ‘Liverpool
Cemetery’, as it was known, was in 1863. The Crematorium was built in
1894-6 – then it was the fourth in the country.
The park today
Only one of the three original chapels remains on the 57ha site. The intricate
path layout is on a roughly diamond shaped design. The site is enclosed by
a red sandstone boundary, and includes four entrances with the main entrance
on Priory Rd/ Walton Lane featuring a tall clock tower, a pair of lodges and
screen with ornate cast iron gates. These features and two other lodges are
grade II listed in Gothic Revival style. Additional listed structures include
catacombs and the crematorium buildings.
In addition to the layout, design and architecture the site is notable for
its part in the social history of the city with many famous citizens commemorated
including former celebrities, sporting heroes and influential community and
business leaders.
www.greenflagaward.org.uk