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🌿 Join Us for the Ballast Hills Burial Ground Descendant Gathering! 🌿

We’re excited to announce a special BHBG Descendant Gathering on 19 February 2025. This event is designed for those with ancestral connections to the site to come together, share stories, and deepen understanding of the heritage of this remarkable burial ground.

📍 Event Details

  • Date: 19 February
  • Time: 14:00
  • Location: 51 Lime Street

This gathering is part of our ongoing efforts to connect with descendants and learn more about the lives of those laid to rest at Ballast Hills. It’s a chance to meet others with similar ties to the site and share your own family’s history with the project.

👉 How to Register
If you’d like to attend, please contact us at ballast.hills@newcastle.ac.uk for registration details.

We’d love to hear from you, whether you’re planning to attend or have stories and memories you’d like to share.

Let’s come together to celebrate and preserve the history of Ballast Hills Burial Ground. Spread the word to family and friends who may have ancestors buried at this unique site!

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Share Your Views: Consultation Event on Ford Street Development

Igloo is hosting a consultation event on Wednesday, 22 January, to gather community input on plans for developing the site between Maling Street and Ford Street in the Lower Ouseburn Valley. Known locally as the “Candleflame” site, the location lies downslope of Ballast Hills Burial Ground (BHBG), adding a layer of historical significance to the proposed development.

The drop-in session will take place at 51 Lime Street from 12:00 to 20:00 and is open to all—residents, business owners, and anyone with an interest in Ouseburn’s future. No booking is required, so you can stop by at a time that works for you.

It’s unclear whether the burial ground extended as far as the Candleflame site, but burials are known to extend toward Ford Street. During the 1978/79 realignment of Ford Street, graves were disturbed, and human remains were removed and relocated elsewhere (Newcastle Journal, 24 November 1978, p. 10; 1 December 1978, p. 7).

The geophysical surveys conducted at BHBG in late 2024 may help identify the most effective tools for detecting burials by revealing patterns within the known site. These patterns could then be used as a reference to predict the burial ground’s boundaries when applied to areas extending beyond the currently understood site. We are still in the process of analysing the results.

This consultation session is a vital opportunity to share your perspective and help shape the plans for the future of the Lower Ouseburn Valley. Your participation is essential, as this development has the potential to significantly impact the area’s character and sense of place.

For those unable to attend, checkout the consultation website, which will be open until 17:00 on Monday, 29 January 2025.

Event Details:
📍 Location: 51 Lime Street
🗓 Date: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00 – 20:00
No booking required – drop in at any time!

Whether you attend in person or contribute online, your input will help ensure that decisions about this development reflect the diverse views of the community, including the descendants of those buried at BHBG. Don’t miss this chance to have your say.

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Press Release: calling all descendants

We are excited to share that Newcastle University has issued a press release showcasing the latest developments in the Ballast Hills Burial Ground project. Dr Myra Giesen, the project lead, invites descendants of those buried at Ballast Hills to connect with the team and share their stories. Contributions will help shape an online Life Register and preserve this heritage for future generations. Archaeological surveys and archival research are ongoing, and the team welcomes volunteers to assist with various aspects of the project.

Read the full press release here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2025/01/ballasthills/.

Join us in uncovering the hidden stories of Ballast Hills and ensuring that every voice is remembered.

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Preparing for Gravestone Pathway for Recording

The BHBG project, led by Newcastle University, continues to focus on Ballast Hills Burial Ground’s historical significance and cultural heritage. As part of this effort, it aims to record and understand the site’s gravestones through comprehensive 3D scanning and condition assessments in early 2025.

A 1929 report provides information from 946 in situ gravestones before the site transitioned into a park. A quick summary compiled in 2023 noted the presence of 71 whole gravestones with legible text, 32 half gravestones with partially legible text, 196 whole gravestones without text, and 261 broken gravestones, bringing the total to 660 gravestones. These data are guiding current preparations.

To prepare for the upcoming recordings, on 14 December, a team of four volunteers from the Ouseburn Trust (OT) Green Team, along with Dr Myra Giesen (the project’s Principal Investigator), worked for two hours to begin clearing the gravestone pathway. Care was taken to remove encroaching turf slowly, to limit soil disturbance, and to avoid damage to the gravestones. Although progress remains slow, the approach ensures each gravestone retains its integrity. Members of the OT Green Team, and possibly some of its cooperate volunteers, will be returning in January.

We welcome volunteers to assist in the recording of the gravestones, likely to be in March 2025, over multiple days, including at least one weekend. If you are interested in joining the recording effort, please register your interest here. Registering will ensure you are notified once days are confirmed and you receive any necessary training in advance of the workday(s).

Note, we are slowly posting BHBG gravestone inscriptions on our Facebook page. It is a private group so you will need to join to see them.

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Call for Descendants: Join the Ballast Hills Burial Ground Story

Are you a descendant of someone interred or memorialised at Ballast Hills Burial Ground (BHBG)? We invite you to connect with others who share this unique heritage and join a new BHBG Descendants Group. This initiative aims to amplify the voices of your ancestors, enrich the narrative of BHBG, and foster a deeper connection to this historic site.

The BHBG Descendants Group will provide a space for descendants to share stories, contribute insights, and help shape the ongoing work of the project. Whether your relatives are buried here or simply remembered on a gravestone, your participation is invaluable in bringing this history to life.

If you would like to join or learn more, please reach out to the project team at ballast.hills@newcastle.ac.uk.

We also also sharing gravestone inscriptions on our Facebook page, offering glimpses into the lives of those who rest at BHBG. Join us in honouring their legacy and building a community that celebrates this remarkable burial ground’s rich history.

Let’s ensure the voices of the past continue to resonate through the generations.

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Shedding Light on the Past: BHBG Project in the Spotlight

We’re excited to share that the Ballast Hills Burial Ground project has been featured in a recent BBC North East article! Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with BBC NE about our upcoming survey work at the site, discussing our goals for unearthing the rich history and cultural significance of this unique burial ground.

The article highlights our commitment to exploring diverse burial practices and preserving the stories that make Ballast Hills such an important part of our local heritage. This coverage offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with an even wider audience, and we are grateful to BBC NE for helping to shine a light on the project

You can read the full article here: BBC North East Article.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far, and stay tuned for more updates on our survey work and findings in the coming weeks!

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Join the BHBG Project Team as a Volunteer!

We are excited to offer new volunteer opportunities with the BHBG project. If you have an interest in history, community engagement, or fieldwork, we invite you to join us. Our project aims to uncover and preserve the stories of Ballast Hills, and we are seeking dedicated volunteers to support this mission. Here are the roles currently open for applications:

  • Historical Researcher: Explore archives and uncover the rich history of BHBG and its community.
  • Biography Researcher: Research and document individual life stories, shedding light on the lives and legacies of those interred or memorialised here.
  • Life Register Contributor (starting late-November): Assist in populating an online database with record of those buried or memorialised at BHBG.
  • Oral History Collector: (now starting in 2025) Capture local memories and stories that highlight the burial ground’s significance and the impact it has had on the community.
  • Media and Communications Support: Help expand the reach of our findings, events, and updates, building engagement through various media channels.
  • Volunteer Coordinator: Support the experience of our volunteers by managing schedules, resources, and communications, ensuring a cohesive and enjoyable environment for all.
  • Fieldworker (beginning Spring 2025): Join our team in recording gravestones embedded in the pathway.

If any of these roles resonate with you, we would love to hear from you! Volunteering with the BHBG project offers the chance to collaborate with researchers, historians, and community members who are all passionate about celebrating and preserving this important heritage site.

How to Apply: Please complete the Volunteer Interest Form, or email us at ballast.hills@newcastle.ac.uk with any questions.

We look forward to welcoming you to the BHBG project team and working together to honour the stories of Ballast Hills.

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Help Shape the Future of Ballast Hills Burial Ground

Do you have a connection to Ballast Hills Burial Ground (BHBG) or an interest in its rich history within the Byker and Ouseburn area or are your ancestor's buried there?

Whether you’re linked to BHBG’s past, concerned for its future, or simply fascinated by its story, we’d love to hear from you. The BHBG Project, led by Newcastle University, is gathering input from those who care about this historic site and invite you to help shape its future.

If you’re interested, please take a moment to complete a short two-question survey here. Your input is vital in helping us connect with others who share an interest in BHBG, and the more voices we hear, the better!

Your feedback will play a key role in guiding our next steps, and we encourage you to share your ideas or get involved. This public engagement and research scoping project is funded by the AHRC’s Curiosity Award (July 2024–December 2025), supporting our work to connect with communities and explore new ways of understanding and preserving the site.

Let’s work together to make it happen!

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Burial Reform: Addressing Burial Space Shortages

The Law Commission has launched a public consultation to address the urgent issue of dwindling burial space in England and Wales. Burial laws, some of which date back to the 1850s, are inconsistent and outdated, with different regulations depending on whether burial grounds are managed by local authorities, the Church of England, the Church in Wales, or private entities. This fragmented legal framework has resulted in gaps in safeguarding the dignity of those interred, particularly as burial spaces run out in urban areas. See their consultation paper and a summary.

A key proposal is the reuse of graves, with strict safeguards in place. Graves could only be reused 75 years after the last burial, and public consultation would be required before any changes could be made, allowing relatives to express concerns. The consultation, launched on 3 October 2024, invites feedback on this and other issues, such as the regulation of burial grounds and the management of closed or disused cemeteries.

Cremation laws, although updated in 2017, also face unresolved issues, including disputes over entitlement to ashes, ownership of medical implants removed before cremation, and uncollected ashes at funeral directors’ premises.

The Law Commission encourages public engagement via an online questionnaire, with the consultation open until 9 January 2025. Feedback will shape final recommendations, which are expected by the end of 2025. These reforms are critical to ensuring burial space for future generations while respecting public sentiment and funeral traditions.

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Heritage Open Days: Music, Poetry, and History

On Sunday, 8 September 2024, an Heritage Open Days event will occur at Ballast Hills Burial Ground! Join us for an inspiring musical performance by Miggins Fiddle, featuring folksinger Maurice Condie and fiddle player Marina Dodgson, along with poetry by Harry Gallagher.

This tribute to those who are buried or memorialised at BHBG is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the history and some of the people connect to this important site.

Book your free spot for 8 September 2024 here.

We have been working with the artists to inform their pieces. This event was organised by Ouseburn Trust and co-sponsored by the BHBG Project @newcastleuni.