Barrow Cemetery Granted Grade II Listed Status

Barrow Cemetery in Cumbria, recognized for its war graves and memorials to notable individuals, has been designated with Grade II listed status. Designed in the 1870s, the cemetery already features several Grade II listed structures, and Historic England stated that the site “reflects the town’s rich military, social and economic history.” Among those interred at the cemetery are Luigi Brucciani, an entrepreneur known for his ice cream cafes, and Elizabeth Longstaff, an evangelist instrumental in establishing the Salvation Army’s operations in the United States. Historic England commended the site for its “creative design and high-quality buildings,” further asserting its “clear national significance.” Landscape architect Edward Kemp designed Barrow Cemetery, which Historic England characterized as “an excellent example of a Victorian municipal cemetery.” The site, which offers views of Walney Island and the Duddon Estuary, contains a Roman Catholic chapel, entrance lodges, and gates, all of which hold Grade II listed status. Additionally, a listed monument commemorates James Gall, one of five men rescued by Grace Darling following the 1838 sinking of the SS Forfarshire off the coast of Northumberland. The grave of Sir James Ramsden, an industrialist and engineer credited with helping to found Barrow town, also possesses Grade II listed status. Sarah Charlesworth of Historic England remarked: “Barrow Cemetery is an excellent example of a Victorian municipal cemetery and it is deserving of its place on the National Heritage List for England. “Its creative design, high-quality buildings and the way its monuments reflect the town’s rich military, social and economic history make it a site of clear national significance.”” The cemetery has also been added to the register of historic parks and gardens. Historic England has invited individuals with stories about Barrow Cemetery and its grounds to contribute to its Missing Pieces Project.