SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Hello all,A friend of mine, who's a recent arrival in Leeds, asked me whether I could recommend any good graveyards in the city. I had a couple of thoughts, but said I would throw it open to the experts...She's particularly interested in using graveyards for photography - something about the light and angles and textures and stuff. So - where are the most picturesque, interesting, spooky - and just downright groovy - graveyards in Leeds?I hear Adel Church is lovely, and I like the one at the Parish Church in town, with the stones all laid out flat, even going up the rail sidings. The Garden of Rest on Merrion Street has recently been refurbed, but I'm looking for the weirder, wonkier, quirkier ones.What say you, SecretLeeds-ers?dsco

Without a doubt the best one for atmosphere (or should i say lack of it) is Beckett street cemetery, Harehills. Lots of overgrown wooded vegetation that gives that neglected look. Great for photography in there. I'll be going myself in the next week to get some nice autumnal early morning mist & light ray stuff. I think it's listed as some protected habitat for wildlife! just watch out for the wine o's

St Johns at Roundhay is another good one! I spotted this sign in there that just cracked me up!... Some sign writer has a sense of humour. Just a little bit ironic don't you think?

KEEP OUT!! i intend too as long as possible!!!

That's cracking Phill - I love the first pic!Good stuff - keep it coming folks...Cheers,dsco

Thanks d.s.c.o. Yahoo flickr have this thing called 'Explore' it's a photo top 500 a bit like the record charts, They have this programme that records all data, views, comments & activity on all the photos they call it 'interestingness' Believe it or not that simple sign was my highest achievment in explore shooting straight in at no12. Not bad to say there's millions of pics on there! What puzzles me is how it's has done far better than all my light painted efforts i spent a lot of time & hard work on! HA! still musn't grumble

Phill_d wrote: Without a doubt the best one for atmosphere (or should i say lack of it) is Beckett street cemetery, Harehills. Lots of overgrown wooded vegetation that gives that neglected look. Great for photography in there. I'll be going myself in the next week to get some nice autumnal early morning mist & light ray stuff. I think it's listed as some protected habitat for wildlife! just watch out for the wine o's Totally agree about Beckett Street. Great atmosphere, especially given where it is in such a built-up area. A great haven.There's a group set up to try and look after it. This does involve clearing it of some of the ivy & trees which spoils the atmosphere a bit but it needs looking after by someone.http://www.beckettstreetcemetery.org.uk/

I have to agree! first place that came to mind when i read opening post!!!

dsco wrote: Hello all,A friend of mine, who's a recent arrival in Leeds, asked me whether I could recommend any good graveyards in the city. I had a couple of thoughts, but said I would throw it open to the experts...She's particularly interested in using graveyards for photography - something about the light and angles and textures and stuff. So - where are the most picturesque, interesting, spooky - and just downright groovy - graveyards in Leeds?I hear Adel Church is lovely, and I like the one at the Parish Church in town, with the stones all laid out flat, even going up the rail sidings. The Garden of Rest on Merrion Street has recently been refurbed, but I'm looking for the weirder, wonkier, quirkier ones.What say you, SecretLeeds-ers?dsco i agree 100%,the monuments are truley amazing,obviously carved long before the health and effing safety man arrived!

wiggy wrote:i agree 100%,the monuments are truley amazing,obviously carved long before the health and effing safety man arrived!Too true! Unfortunately though, the headstones can become unstable. Often OK when left alone but with may of the dear children these days left to find their own amusement, some seem to do so in the graveyard, showing their respect for others by rampaging around the memorials often causing damage - and then complain when one falls on them!Result: The councils have to 'make them safe' often by laying them flat or removing them altogether (however did man survive in the days before so much H & S regulation! ).My wife is an ardent Family History bod and had taken me on some of her graveyard expeditions tracing my family. I heard that one cemetry, including a family memorial was going to be treated to this safety measure and in a fit of defiance, demanded to given back the stone. To my surprise, I found that as the nearest surviving relative - I could do just that. The next surprise was even bigger, I'd got my cemetries mixed up and the thing I was demanding was not the simple round stone I thought, but a blooming great ornate mountain of marble some 8feet tall weighing several tons - well, that wouldn't go in the back of the car, so it had to stay put (and still is). Mind you, would have been interesting to watch the neighbours if I'd planted that in the garden!Becket Street is a very large place, their is a group who help maintain it, friends of Becckett Street Cemetry who give tours from time to time, but don't forget the smaller ones like Holbeck and Wortley.