The General Cemetery, Sharrow, Sheffield opened in 1836 two miles for the city centre.
It was the principal burial ground in Victorian Sheffield. By the time it closed in 1978 87,000 people had been buried there.
Originally the designers saw the cemetery as having a dual role:
A burial ground for the dead to provide more space as the city churchyards were full to overflowing.
There was also a need for a burial space that reflected the wealth and status of Sheffield’s new middle class.
A sanctuary for the living which provided meditative recreational space in a setting enhanced by

careful landscaping, inspiring architecture, and sweeping vistas.
The site is a Conservation Area, one of only six sites in South Yorkshire. It is listed on the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. It is:
One of the earliest commercial cemeteries in Britain, containing some unique catacombs, and nine listed monuments and buildings.
Home to many important figures in Sheffield history such as Mark Firth, the steel manufacturer, and Samuel Holberry, the Chartist.