Hailsham Town Council's Cemetery Wardens: information for residents

Town councillors Barbara Holbrook and Anne Blake-Coggins are the current Cemetery Wardens and, acting as ambassadors for the cemetery in Ersham Road, they work closely with the Cemetery Superintendent and Burials Officer, attending the cemetery regularly to recommend any additional maintenance required at the site.

A considerable amount of work has been completed on further improvements to Hailsham Cemetery during the past couple of years, including the latest refurbishment of the Old Garden of Remembrance and creation of additional burial space at the grounds in Ersham Road.

The two field maple trees have been pollarded to 50% and the beech hedge on the northern and eastern side of the garden has been removed, to allow for more light and to alleviate heavy leaf drop.

The front of the garden has been stoned and planted with lavender and the eastern side has also been stoned with lavender planted, in addition to a new path being laid, releasing up to 50 new ashes plots.

The refurbishment work at the Old Garden of Remembrance follows a myriad of other improvements carried out at the cemetery, including the refurbishment of the New Garden of Remembrance with the re-laying of paving slabs, installation of a new weed membrane and new gravel, and improvements to some of the cemetery's footpaths, part of a 3-4 year project to overlay all the paths with tarmac to ensure the safety of visitors.

"Hailsham Cemetery is a quiet, secluded burial ground run by the Town Council and maintained for maximum peace for those visiting loved ones," said Cllr Mary Laxton, Chair of the Assets Management Committee. "We want to ensure that our cemetery provides a fitting and appropriate place for people to visit their loved ones which is why we continue make improvements by carrying out any upgrades and repair work necessary on site. By doing this, we can ensure that the cemetery remains a place the community can be truly proud of."

"The refurbishment of the Old and New Gardens of Remembrance for example, will go a considerable way in terms of providing additional interment space for the local community."

Hailsham Cemetery offers spaces for the burial of coffins, as well as two Gardens of Remembrance and a separate space available for the interment of cremated remains. The cemetery also includes an area for 'meadowland burials' – for unmarked 'green' burials in bio-degradable coffins with no monuments or headstones.

The cemetery grass is cut around the graves on a regular basis and to a generally high standard. The rest of the cemetery is maintained and repaired regularly by the Town Council’s Cemetery Manager, and the Council endeavours to inspect and assess the condition of the cemetery as often as possible.

Hailsham Cemetery is generally open from 'dawn until dusk'. If you are intending to visit and wish to enquire about where a particular burial plot is, please call the Burials Officer on 01323 841702 (9am-4pm, Monday to Friday), who will be happy to assist. Alternatively, send an email.