Burials are taking place in a previously unused section in the north of Rye Cemetery, after available space in the southern (‘lawn’) part ran out.
Rother District Council (RDC) confirmed the new section forms part of the cemetery’s third division area — informally known as Union Workhouse Field — and is located in the most northerly part of the cemetery — right next to Cemetery Cottage.
It appears that about half a dozen graves have already been placed in this area. RDC’s cemeteries officer reveals: “It is not possible to say how long the capacity will last; however, there is sufficient space for many more years to come. No other part of the cemetery will be reused”.
Several hundred unmarked graves already exist in the field, between the newly designated area and the garden of rest. These informal burials between 1845 and 1940 comprised staff and residents – men, women and children – from the neighbouring Rye Union Workhouse.
In 1929 the large Victorian building evolved into a public assistance institution known as the Retreat. Following its use by the army in the second world war the facility became Hill House Hospital (1949-1980), run by the NHS and caring for the mentally and physically handicapped. The grade II listed building has recently been totally renovated and now provides 16 residential flats.
RDC says the new graves area in Union Workhouse Field will accommodate Church of England adherents and if they so wish people with no religion, while another area in the west of the field is reserved for Catholic and non-conformist burials.
At the recent Rye annual town meeting a local undertaker, Jackie Richards, made a plea for Rye Town Council to take control of the cemetery.
Indeed, being buried these days can prove a rather expensive business. RDC charges £1,176 for burial in Rye Cemetery and an additional identical fee is charged for exclusive rights of burial for 50 years. For £297 a full-size burial plot can be reserved for five years. A smaller charge of £152 is made to apply for a headstone. The headstone itself, purchased privately, could easily cost between £750 and £1,400.
Local residents might be surprised to know that the aforementioned council fees double if “any person who at the time of death was not a council tax payer or resident of the Rother District and has not so resided at any time during the 12 months preceding his or her death”.
Image Credits: David Worwood .
A few years ago, walking through the cemetery, I asked the Rother Cemetery Officer why the field was apparently empty. She explained it was for unmarked Workhouse burials.
On a subsequent visit to her office I inspected the burials register detailing all the men, women and children buried there, but not collated in an accessible way. They are also recorded, when alive, in the Censuses taken every 10 years, as ‘inmates’ of the Union Workhouse.
Google earth shows the graves in neat rows and a plan at Rother suggests several hundred burials.
I thought those people should be remembered so I suggested to Rye Foreign Parish Council that a memorial sign could be erected near the entrance gate.
Councillors generously agreed to fund the project and a sign was written, photos added a local graphic artist prepared the design and Care Signs made it for installation by Dave Dengate, chairman of the Council at the time.
As a last link, I have reserved a plot near the hedge, for when my time comes!
From 1st April the fees will rise. For a new grave the fees are £1202 to dig + £1202 to purchase the exclusive right. If a double depth grave is required then a further £480 is charged. That totals £2884 for a resident. As the article says, if you leave Rother for more than 12 months (perhaps to move to a nursing home) all the fees double.
An interment in the ashes section (Rother will no longer accept reservation of ashes spaces at Rye) is £330 to dig + £341 to purchase the exclusive right. The total of £671 is again doubled for a non-resident.
I do understand, and rather agree, with the doubling of fees for someone without connection to Rye but this is applied to those who may have lived in the town for many years but have been compelled to leave the Rother area for health or perhaps family reasons.
Unfair, bureaucratic and grasping. An ignoble act on those we lose.
I’ll get off my soap-box now.
My grandparents lived in Cemetery Cottage, Grand dad was the grave digger and I have vague memories of helping him dig the graves, this would have been in the mid 50’s, I’d have been around 4 years old and probably more of a hindrance than a help.