A two-month restoration project to repair and restore Long Eaton’s historic Cemetery Chapel will get underway shortly, Erewash Borough Council announced this week.
The important refurbishment will be carried out as part of the Council’s Townscape Heritage Initiative and will restore the Grade II listed chapel to its former glory. The gates to the cemetery and nearby West Park will also be repaired.
Erewash Borough Council owns the Lime Grove Cemetery Chapel and its grounds, and has launched the restoration through its Long Eaton Townscape Heritage Initiative – a major project to transform historic parts of the town thanks to substantial funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other partners.
The chapel was built in 1889 by Knight of Nottingham and is situated within the Long Eaton Lace Factories Conservation Area. During recent years it has been the target of vandalism and theft of lead from the roof, which in turn has caused water to seep into the building and cause further damage to interior surfaces.
Work will start in October and will include:
- A new tiled roof
- Replacement of the lead
- Repairs to stonework
- Repairs to cast iron rainwater features
- Repairs to internal stonework
- Replacement of damaged and missing stone
- Repointing in lime mortar
In addition, the Grade II listed cemetery gates, their supports and the railings will be repaired – along with the showpiece Coronation Gates and railings at the entrance to West Park from King Street.
The work is the latest phase of the Council’s Long Eaton Townscape Heritage Initiative, which has already seen Lime Grove – the road which leads up to the cemetery chapel – restored to its Victorian glory. A major refurbishment of the town’s Old Market Place is also close to completion.
Councillor Geoffrey Smith, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration and Planning, says:
“We are delighted to be able to drive forward the repair work and restoration of this historic chapel its railings and gates. I know local residents will welcome the news.
“The key objective of our Heritage project is to protect the town’s history – and the chapel and its gates are an integral part of that heritage. We look forward to the finished result and I am confident residents will share our view that this historic chapel should be treasured.”
The Long Eaton Townscape Heritage Initiative is an exciting project which is working to conserve and regenerate the town and was launched two years ago thanks to major funding totalling nearly £2.7m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership, Erewash Borough Council and potential match funding from owners of historic buildings.
