In Victorian times rapid expansion in towns and cities and a mixture of bad working conditions, poor housing and epidemics of such illnesses as Cholera had led to a dramatic rise in the number of deaths.
Before the mid 19th Century burials had to take place according to the rites of the Church of England. This meant that the deceased were buried in the churchyard of the parish in which they died. Many cemeteries in cities in the U.K. had or were about to become full.
In response to this situation parliament passed The Burial Acts of 1852-1857. These enabled Burial Boards to be set up either as separate bodies or as part of the Borough Councils.
Pontefract Cemetery is an example of a municipal cemetery and had this large chapel on the main access path from the cemetery entrance.
The oldest burials and headstones are around the chapel as might be expected, with later burials extending to the north side of the cemetery.
The Cemetery contains 36 Commonwealth war graves from the First World War and 33 from the Second World War. These war graves are spread throughout the cemetery rather than being grouped together.
The chapel is a Historic England Grade II Listed Building.
"Mortuary chapel, no longer used. c.1860. Rock-faced snecked stone with ashlar dressings, Welsh slate roofs with fishscale bands.
Decorated Gothic Revival Style. The chapel is divided into two by an archway above which is a spire, with linking vestibules, giving an elevation of 1:1:1:1:1 bays, the chapels having 3 bays to the side returns, the established church using the eastern half, and non-conformist denominations the western half.
Plinth. Pointed windows with -- Decorated-style tracery. The chapels project and have stepped setback buttresses, 3-light windows, and steep coped gables.
Vestibules have 2-light windows and lower steep coped gables. The central archway advances and has moulded pointed arch dying into plain chamfered jambs; single-light opening above; broached spire of coursed stone, with parapet pierced with trefoils; gargoyles; vents.
Rear is similar, but archway further recessed. Side returns: stepped buttresses between bays and two-light shorter windows. Roofs have remains of decorative clay ridge tiles. Pointed doorways within tower arch gives access to chapel vestibules."
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