BROOKWOOD CEMETERY

Press Releases by Brookwood Cemetery

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1 December 2009: Funeral of Warrant Officer Darren Chant

The burial of Warrant Officer Darren Chant took place on Tuesday 1 December. His burial followed a memorial service held in the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks.

Warrant Officer Darren Chant, Regimental Sergeant Major of the Grenadier Guards, was killed on 3 November in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was one of five British soldiers shot by an Afghan policeman they had been training for several weeks.

The official Ministry of Defence communiqué reporting the death of Warrant Officer Chant may be read here.

15 November 2009: Memorial Service at the Glades of Remembrance

On Sunday 15 November the Mayor of Woking led a special service in memory of Ramadan Guney at the entrance to the Glades of Remembrance. The Mayor cut the ribbon over the memorial  plaque and map of the Glades and made a short speech. Afterwards, Archimandrite Alexis of the St Edward Brotherhood blessed the waters of the lake, which has been restored as part of the overall improvements to this area of the Glades. The last part of the service saw the release of fish into the lake, donated by Iain Welter of the Welters Organisation, who have undertaken the repairs to the lake.

For more photographs of this special ceremony click here

Archimandrite Alexis pouring holy water onto the lake following the blessing of the waters

During her speech the Mayor said "I am very pleased to be here to unveil this memorial plaque in memory of Mr Ramadan Guney, owner of Brookwood Cemetery between 1985 and 2006. Much restoration work has been carried out in recent years on the Cemetery by Mr Ramadan Guney and his son, Erkin. This lake, otherwise known as the Pool of Serenity, has been without water for almost 20 years now. When Mr Guney was alive he tried on several occasions to restore the lake and waterfalls and this has now been achieved in his memory through donations to the Brookwood Cemetery Restoration Fund."

For more photographs of this special ceremony click here

Iain Welter (Welters Organisation) and Erkin Guney Staff from Welters undertook the difficult and delicate task of restoring the lake.

For more photographs of this special ceremony click here

All the above photographs are strictly copyright of Louis Amore

October 2009: Pilgrimage Against Poverty Visits Brookwood Cemetery

As part of the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, local organiser Margaret Howells arranged for a group to visit the pauper burial areas of Brookwood Cemetery on Saturday 17 October. The purpose of the visit was to promote the dignity of and show solidarity with those who experience extreme poverty, and to raise awareness about the eradication of poverty. John Clarke, Brookwood Cemetery's Historical Consultant, explained to the visitors about the many thousands of the poor who were buried on the cemetery's boundaries. They included inmates from workhouses, infirmaries, prisons (including Woking Prison), and asylums (including Brookwood Asylum). A short service of remembrance for those in poverty was held in the Cemetery Chapel. The Brookwood Cemetery Society supported the event through its sales stand and refreshments.

October 2009

Please note that all vegetables, fungi, fruit, flowers, shrubs, trees, logs, etc, found on-site are privately owned and cannot be removed. Any removals will be considered as theft and will result in prosecution.

October 2009: Winter Opening Times

Please note that as of 1 October 2009 our opening hours are daily from 7am to 5pm (Glades of Remembrance (8am - 5pm).  

October 2009: Restoration of the Lake

Our current restoration project is the Lake near the entrance to the Glades of Remembrance. Work has just begun to make the area watertight, and thus restore not only the lake but also the pump that fed the waterfall feature nearby.The anticipated cost of the work is expected to be in the region of £28,000. Work has just begun on this project in conjunction with Welters. We will post further information as the restoration work proceeds.

July 2009: Funeral of Lieutenant Mark Evison

The burial of the ashes of Lieutenant Mark Evison took place on Wednesday 29 July. His burial followed a memorial service held in the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks in May.

Lieutenant Evison, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was shot on 9 May whilst on patrol outside Check Point Haji Alem in Helmand province, Afghanistan, where he was serving as a Platoon Commander. He later died of his wounds in Selly Oak Hospital on 12 May.

The official Ministry of Defence communiqué reporting the death of Lieutenant Evison may be read here.

Lieutenant Evison kept a journal recording his experiences in the harsh fighting in Helmand. Published in the Daily Telegraph on 14 July, you can read it here.

July 2009: Funeral of Major Sean Birchall

The funeral of Major Sean Birchall took place on Wednesday 8 July with full military honours. His burial followed a memorial service held in the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks.

Major Birchall, of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed in Afghanistan on 19 June. He was killed by an explosion whilst on patrol in Basharan, near Lashkar Gah, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. One other soldier was injured in the incident.

The official Ministry of Defence communiqué reporting the death of Major Birchall may be read here.

June 2009: Brookwood Cemetery designated a Grade I Historic Park & Garden by English Heritage

English Heritage has upgraded Brookwood Cemetery from a Grade II to a Grade I historic park & garden. This puts the massive 450 acre cemetery in the top 10% of registered parks & gardens in the UK, and recognises that the cemetery is of international significance. Erkin Guney, Managing Director of Brookwood Cemetery, said he was very pleased with the news. “It reinforces what we have been saying for some time, that Brookwood Cemetery deserves to be recognised as a site of national and international importance. I hope this new status will be a valuable staging post towards our target of making the cemetery a World Heritage site.” He also wished to thank all those who had supported his vision of making Brookwood “the Kew Gardens of cemeteries”, especially his wife Melanie Guney, who is Senior Manager of the cemetery; the cemetery’s Historical Consultant, John Clarke; other company employees; and members of the Brookwood Cemetery Society.

The letter from English Heritage explained the reasons for the significant upgrade in status from Grade II to Grade I as follows: 

“[English Heritage] have recently undertaken a systematic review of the grading of the 106 cemeteries on the Register and the reasons for their designation, and are writing to let you know that from the date of this letter [9 June 2009], English Heritage, the Government’s statutory adviser, has decided to upgrade the Register entry for Brookwood Cemetery from Grade II to Grade I for the following principal reasons:”

“Extraordinary scheme on an entirely different scale to other cemeteries
“Extent and complexity of design
“One of the finest nineteenth century designs in the country
“Quality of design and layout on the ground
“Designers of national renown
“Strong international links
“Wide diversity of social and religious aspects.”

English Heritage developed its Register of Historic Parks and Gardens under the National Heritage Act of 1983. During the 1980s the Register was developed and covered 1,065 sites, only 14 of which were cemeteries. The register is currently being revised and Brookwood Cemetery is one of nearly 1,450 sites in the updated register. Its upgrade means it is one of only 140 sites in the UK granted the prestigious Grade I status.

May 2009: Forthcoming Events

The following special services are scheduled to take place in Brookwood Cemetery during May.

Saturday 23 May: Spring visit to the burial ground of St Alban the Martyr Holborn

Sunday 24 May: American Battle Monument Commission Memorial Day (3pm)

For older press releases and related information, see our Blog

Glades House, Cemetery Pales, Brookwood, Woking, Surrey GU24 0BL
Tel: (01483) 472222
Fax: (01483) 472223
Email: enquiries@brookwoodcemetery.com