Genealogy Chat

Linda I had a brave friend with me, although she was laughing all the way there in the car, when we got out of the car she suddenly stopped and used a few choice words and then gathered herself together and said ' come on lets get on with it' and off we went until a car pulled onlong the dirt track with two blokes in it and stopped. We didn't stop except to pick up the big sticks and walk in the other direction lol lol, we must have looked a right pair of nutters!! We did move onto another grave yard as I wanted to show her my other great grandparents, but again we couldn't get to the grave because of the brambles - sad day all round Joanne

I've just had a look at the pics, ooooooh it's very creepy! I think you were brave just to go with a big stick!

Have a look on the following and you will get a rough idea of what it is like, but in person it is even stranger and quiet spooky. I have to admit even though two of us went I walked round with a great big stick in my hand - god only knows what I expected to do with it if we were pounced on by someone lurking in the undergrowth http://decadence.me.uk/pages/graveyards/sheffield_wardsend.htm

awww that's awful! how twisted does someone have to be to vandalise a cemetery? I hope you can find your loved ones and that someone sorts the place out.Can I suggest local press. The cemetery where my daughter is buried was very overgrown with weeds, one parent got the local paper in to take pics etc, within a couple of days the weeds (we are talking 2/3 ft high had all gone!

How sad that our ancestors are not given the respect they deserve. I have crawled my way through a few overgrown churchyards but have never seen any sign of vandalism. Maybe you can do some more research & get some plot numbers, then it least you would have an idea of which plots it would be worth the effort.

If you really would like to see where I have been google Wardsend Cemetery on images it will bring up loads of pictures, It really is an amazingly strange place http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=wardsend+cemetery&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images

Today I finally ventured down to Wardsend cemetery in Sheffield where three sides of my family are buried from the 1880's through to the 1960's When I pulled up my jaw dropped. I had been warned to take a friend and I'm so glad I did. It took us 10 mins to calm down and explore, or should I say trek through the undergrowth. It is the most nerve racking place even in broad daylight with the sun shining, god only knows what it is like on a damp dull day or even at night. It is a wood with gravestones poking through the bracken, brambles, ivy and rubbish that has been dumped. Graves are spray painted and fires have been lit and beer cans' are strewn all over. What a sad place it is, upsetting is putting it mildly, I'm amazed that it has been left to get into such an awful state, it must belong to either a church or to Sheffield City Council or someone, there was a ' Friends of Wardsend' who I heard were cleaning it up at some point but I think they must have given up on a bad job. Did I find what I went for? No chance, I doubt I ever will, what a big disappointment, it was heart breaking to see a final resting place in such a sorry state. I'm sure that many families would find their ancestors as some graves you can easily get to, but mine and many others have been swallowed up by the ivy, fern and trees. I will be going back to try again and take a couple more friends with me What a big let down, I was so looking forward to going, my friend an I went armed with camera's and a camcorder, but all I got was a photo of a grave that I think belongs to someone on here and decided to take it's picture in case I was right and then send it onto them Joanne