Local Anger over State of Prescot Cemetery

By on Tuesday, April 16, 2013

prescot_cemetery_plaqueA Prescot woman has started a petition to have a plaque at Prescot Cemetery replaced.

Viv Frodsham wrote on the Prescot Online Facebook page that the sign “made the place feel special.” It’s been removed and, she believes, relocated to the new Knowsley Cemetery on Fox’s Bank Lane, Whiston. She notes that the cemetery appears neglected now.

The Fox’s Bank Lane cemetery is beautifully kept, and it should rightly make Knowsley proud. On hearing about the state of the Prescot Cemetery from several Prescotians on the Facebook page, however (you can read some of the complaints here and here), I stopped by to see for myself and take some pictures.

The critics, some of whom have generations of their family buried there, were right. What I found was:

  • Several vandalised gravestones
  • Plinths and pieces of graves stacked up looking like part of a construction site
  • Missing gates
  • A new plastic sign in place of the historic plaque Viv mentioned
  • Two poles standing on their own where a sign should be

prescot_cemetery_new_sign

Prescot_cemetery_missing_sign

prescot_cemetery_grave_1

prescot_cemetery_grave_2

prescot_cemetery_grave_3

prescot_cemetery_grave_4

prescot_cemetery_no_gates

prescot_cemetery_gates_closeup

prescot_cemetery_grave_5

prescot_cemetery_bin

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In fairness, the area around the BICC Memorial, not long situated there, offers a fitting tribute to Prescotians and a pleasant place to sit and reflect. But this only makes the poor state of the rest of the cemetery all the more regrettable. It does real dishonour and disrespect to the town and those who are buried there.

As I write, Viv’s petition needs 47 more signatures before it will be presented to Knowsley Council. Let’s hope it is an important step towards drawing the council’s attention to public feeling about the condition of Prescot Cemetery.

– Dave

21 Comments

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