Rochdale Cemetery unveils new facilities

Rochdale Borough Council has reopened the restored Rochdale Cemetery after “extensive renovations”.

West Lodge, A Grade II-listed building situated at the entrance to the cemetery, officially reopened to the public on 15 September 2023 as a new memorial hall.

The lodge, originally the registrar’s office accommodation when the cemetery was created in 1855, had stood empty for a number of years due to its poor internal condition.

The new memorial hall also includes a book of remembrance room where anyone can visit to pay respects and discuss options for storing ashes and memorials.

A former toilet block outside the lodge has made way for a new garden carefully planned around the focal point of a symbolic memorial tree with glass leaves engraved with messages in remembrance of lives past.

Across the cemetery, the old book of remembrance site will become a new waiting room for 40 people, and an extension to the crematorium will house the “latest” energy-efficient cremation system, a fully refurbished chapel and public toilets, with works due to be completed in late 2024.

Councillor Liam O’Rourke, cabinet member for climate change and environment, said: “West Lodge Memorial Hall now offers the perfect retreat for visitors to pay respects, or discuss ideas for lasting memorials, or simply a quiet place to sit and reflect in the new gardens – providing visitors with a place to think, reflect and remember, year after year.”