Nellfield is quite an old cemetery, having been laid
out by 1836. It is located just to the west of the city centre and bounded by Great Western
Road, Nellfield Crescent and Holburn Street. This walled graveyard is
hardly seen from the perimeter and is frequently overlooked by those who
walk past it every day. Access is via the main entrance on Great Western
Road. You used to be able to enter via Holburn Street but on my last
visit this was chained shut, as was the second entrance from Great
Western Road.
The cemetery is laid out in three walled sections,
starting with the oldest near the front entrance and graduating to the
most recent stones at the far end of the cemetery adjacent to Nellfield
Crescent. What strikes you in this cemetery is the silence.
Considering it is next to a main road close to the city centre it is
absolutely quiet within the high walls. It can be almost
unnerving. This is a well maintained cemetery in very good
condition, though some of the coniferous trees really need to be cut
back or replaced as they have become too large for their location.
The cemetery is extensively laid out in roses which turns it into a
virtual paradise when they are in bloom (about August). The downside of
this strategy is that the grounds look fairly drab the rest of the year.
Parking close by is difficult. I would recommend parking further down
Holburn Street and walking up. It's not far and will set the scene.
Alternatively closer by there is parking on Nellfield Crescent - though you
have to pay there!
Not a particularly distinctive cemetery, but interesting in its own
way and well worth a visit.
Click on photos below to enlarge
