Cemeteries are community touchstones and, over the past 18 months, the Stories of the Stones Project has worked with volunteers from the local community, alongside creative practitioners to begin unearthing the many stories held by the St John’s and Westgate Hill cemeteries.
Visitors came along to St John’s (Elswick) Cemetery for a rare chance to gain entry to the gothic chapels and enjoy the creative responses and research that our volunteer group have uncovered. While there, they chatted to our volunteers about family history research and how to go about finding a grave; experienced poetry performed that is inspired by the stories and saw stunning photographic images created by the inspiration of the natural environment of St John’s.

Whilst Heritage Open Days was a lovely opportunity to share the project with a wider audience – there has been much more going on at these two sites!
As well as places for burial and remembrance, cemeteries can play a valuable role as green spaces, particularly in urban areas where many people do not have access to a garden or local park. Victorian cemeteries like St Johns and Westgate Hill are similar in design to public parks from the same period and can provide many of the same mental and physical health benefits, as well as providing a haven for wildlife.
Cemeteries also provide an important record of the social history of the area with each cemetery offering a biography of its community. The West End of Newcastle is ethnically diverse, which is reflected in the many cultures, nationalities and religions of the people buried in St Johns and Westgate Hill.
