| Holywell Cemetery St Cross Cemetery | |
|---|---|
Kenneth Grahame's gravestone in the cemetery.
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| Details | |
| Established | 1847 |
| Location | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°45′21″N 1°14′50″W / 51.75583°N 1.24722°W / 51.75583; -1.24722 |
| Style | Wildlife refuge |
| Terms of lease | Closed to new burials |
| Find a Grave | 2175352 |
Holywell Cemetery is next to St Cross ChurchinOxford, England. The cemetery is behind the church in St Cross Road, south of Holywell ManoronManor Road and north of Longwall Street, in the parish of Holywell.
In the mid 19th century, the graveyards of the six parishes in central Oxford became full, so Merton College made some of its land available to form the cemetery in 1847. The cemetery was established along with Osney Cemetery and St Sepulchre's Cemetery.[1] In 1855, new burials were forbidden at all Oxford city churches, apart from in existing vaults.
The cemetery is now a wildlife refuge with many birds (including pheasants that nest there) and butterflies, as well as small and larger mammals, including Muntjac deer and foxes. Hedgehogs are also known to live there.[citation needed]
A number of well-known people are buried in the cemetery, including:
A wooden grave marker that was used to mark the grave of the England Rugby captain Ronald Poulton-Palmer at Ploegsteert wood is affixed to a wall in the cemetery.[6]
The cemetery contains three war graves that are maintained and registered by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission – two British Army officers of World War I and a Royal Air Force officer of World War II.[7]
AFriends of Holywell Cemetery has been established to raise funds and manage the cemetery.[8]
