The great and the poor have their final resting place at Nottingham's Church Cemetery. Even in death, money distinguishes the haves and have nots.
The tombstones of the wealthy bear huge crosses, stone angels, ornate decoration and loving inscriptions, a poignant contrast to the indistinguishable paupers' graves of babies, children and adults.
The sprawling cemetery covers 13 acres, bordering Mansfield Road, Forest Road and the Forest recreation ground - a busy location passed by thousands of cars daily but the further you walk into the cemetery and more you immerse yourself in the history, the buzz of the traffic is barely noticeable and the only sound is birdsong.
A menacingly grey January day seems entirely appropriate for a sombre, respectful wander around the cemetery, which is also known as Rock Cemetery since it was created on the site of a former sand mine and laid out around the many sandstone outcrops.
If the thousands of graves are not enough to send a shiver down the spine, the site had once been the location of Gallows Hill, where crowds gathered to witness public executions. William Wells, 46, was the last to hang in 1827 for highway robbery.
As strange as it may seem, the cemetery ranks amongst 'Things to do in Nottingham' on TripAdvisor, an eclectic mix of 'attractions' from the obvious tourist draws, Wollaton Hall, Robin Hood statue, City of Caves and Nottingham Castle, to Primark, bingo and soft play centres.
One visitor says: "Eerily beautiful. This cemetery is truly special. There is a wonderful variety of headstones, obelisks and statues. The caves and interments in rock faces are something you're unlikely to see elsewhere. Take a quiet stroll... and some beautiful photos."
Another reviewer writes that it's one of the most fascinating burial grounds in Nottingham. "The gravestone statues are works of art and mesmerise you almost as soon as you walk in from the Mansfield Road entrance," they said.
The cemetery is regarded as so special that it's got a Grade II* listed status.
Beloved husbands, wives, sons and daughters, who have died, passed over, fallen asleep or as one grave reads "called to higher life" now reunited, some in family vaults.
By day it's fascinating reading all the inscriptions of those who lived more than 150 years ago, and wondering which ghastly Victorian ailment claimed their lives at such tender ages. Others are so ancient and weathered they're impossible to decipher.
But it's not the kind of place to be after dark, especially if you're of a nervous disposition... not that you can as the main gates are locked before nightfall.
There's an estimated 14,000 graves and around 43,000 babies, children and adults are said to be buried here.
They include famous names in Nottingham's history. Renowned Victorian architect Watson Fothergill - the man responsible for landmark buildings such as the Black Boy Hotel and Queens Chambers in the city - was laid to rest in 1928.
He designed his own stone. It's not the most ornate or grandiose. The red hexagonal column is decorated with a stag and like his buildings is unique and stands out both in colour and shape from the surrounding graves. However, some say it looks like a bird bath.
It's located opposite the big drop of the St Ann's Valley, where the paupers' graves are near the catacombs.
Here lay hundreds, whose families were too poor to give them a proper burial in the early 1900s, buried in shared plots of 20 or so beneath one heavy grey slab.
We can't take a closer look because they're behind a locked gate - a necessarily evil to prevent drug takers and homeless people loitering.
Kevin Powell, a member of Nottingham Civic Society, leads tours about the cemetery lasting two-and-a-half hours during the summer months.
"Cemeteries always have a fascination. The first burial after it was consecrated was 1856 was a young boy by the name of Taylor Cookson.
"So many notable people are buried in there. You've got graves of a big lace manufacturer and business people."
They include Frank Bowden, the founder of Raleigh Cycle Company, MP Anthony John Mundella, who instigated the education acts in the 1800s leading to compulsory free education, and James Shipstone, who founded Shipstone's beer.
Medical officer Dr Philip Boobbyer, whose actions led to flushing toilets in homes instead of the disease-ridden pail-closet system, is another figure of note buried there and Marriott Ogle Tarbotton, who masterminded Trent Bridge.
But no one had a bigger funeral than Thomas Butler Cutts, a lace manufacturer and self-made man, who lived at Malvern House in Mapperley Road, and died in 1886.
Mr Powell said: "Two thousand people lined the route from his house to the cemetery, standing in heavy wind and rain. Police had to clear the way through the crowds to allow the funeral procession to access the vault in the Rock Valley."
The cemetery was one of the green spaces created as part of the 1845 Nottingham Enclosure Act, together with the Arboretum, Corporation Oaks, St Ann's, and Queens Walk in The Meadows.
It was designed by Edwin Patchitt, a solicitor and mayor, who represented Nottinghamshire as a cricketer.
"He died 1888 in Hastings and his body was brought back to Nottingham and he is buried at the very bottom of the Rock Valley in quite an ornate tomb - it stands out, like a big altar with a railing round it," said Mr Powell.
At the other end of the spectrum are the desolate paupers' graves.
"With children's graves you've got 12 to 15 names and on the adults anything from 10-15 so you can imagine how deep the graves are.
"The paupers' graves were paid for by the council. The family couldn't afford to bury their loved ones," added Mr Powell."
Many of the youngsters were victims of a bad outbreak of diphtheria and whooping cough in the winter of 1904-1905.
Burials occasionally still take place.
A spokesman for Nottingham City Council, which looks after the cemetery, said: "There are some family grave plots at Rock Cemetery with remaining space for future burials and, as such, we do still receive occasional requests particularly for the interment of cremated remains.
"The most recent one was last week, while the last full burial was in April 2021."
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