The Ballast Hills Burial Ground Project has developed through the work of researchers, advisers, volunteers, students, descendants, community groups, creative practitioners, and partner organisations. This page recognises people and organisations that have made substantial contributions to different phases of the work.
Project Lead
Myra initiated the work in 2019 and leads the wider Ballast Hills Burial Ground Project. She brings together research on the site, archive, and stories, alongside public engagement, partnerships, volunteering, conservation planning, and work to support the burial ground’s long-term future.
Key Contributors and Advisers
AHRC Curiosity Award Project Team
Dr Shane McCorristine, Co-Investigator
Dr Alex Turner, geophysics technical lead
Specialist Contributors
Rowan Ferguson, contributor to the significance assessment
Dr Kris Poole, contributor to the site management and conservation recommendations
Advisers and Contributors
Lizzy Baker, Professor Jeremy Boulton, Rachel Gill, Rachel Grahame, Mike Greatbatch, Patrick Low, Andrew Scrogham, Emily Toth, Dr Loes Veldpaus, and Iain Watson OBE DL.
Volunteers
Volunteers have been central to the project, contributing more than 1,500 hours to archival research, gravestone recording, site work, events, photography, transcription, family-history research, and public engagement. More people have contributed than we can name individually, and every contribution has helped to advance the work.
We offer particular thanks to Pat Craighead, Denise Dixon, Mike Greatbatch, Barbara Phillips-Kerr, Lynn Taylor, and Gary Taylorson for the exceptional amount of time, care, knowledge, and sustained commitment they have given to the project.
Descendants, Family Historians, and Personal Connections
A growing number of people are discovering personal connections with individuals and families buried at Ballast Hills. Some are descendants, while others have found links through family history, local history, shared occupations, places, faith communities, or stories uncovered through the project.
People have contributed family research, photographs, documents, memories, and information that are not always preserved in official records. These personal connections help to restore individuality to people who were once known only through names, dates, inscriptions, or burial entries.
The project welcomes contact from anyone who may have a connection with a person buried at Ballast Hills or who can add to what is known about their life. These contributions are helping to build a richer, more human account of the burial ground and the communities associated with it.
Students
Paid Students: Felix Arkle, Charlotte Brown, Jenny Cooke, Rebeka Erdenlyiova, Laureen Florendine, Isabel Hall, Molly Haywood, Stephanie Lyttle, Emma Morgan, Omkar Nanjundaswamy, Taylan Paksoy, Ashleigh Regan, and Dovydas Vilkevičius.
Student Volunteers: Emma Agatston, Ilka Bader, Lisa Errington, Rachel Hards, Sinan Ihtiyaroglu, Eve Jackson, Elizabeth Joyce, Eda Seyok, and Lily Stone.
Organisational Partners and Supporters
Organisations have contributed specialist advice, collections access, research and technical support, venues, practical assistance, community connections, and opportunities for public engagement.
Site ownership and and local stewardship
Newcastle City Council: Planning: Site ownership, planning, conservation, management, and future stewardship.
Friends of Ballast Hills Burial Ground: Community stewardship, advocacy, interpretation, volunteering, and support for the burial ground’s future.
Ouseburn Trust: Local knowledge, community engagement, volunteering, Green Days, events, project development, and practical support.
Archives, libraries, and museums
Newcastle City Library: History and Heritage: Research resources, exhibitions, talks, events, and access to local and family history collections.
North East Museums (Tyne & Wear Archives): Access to burial registers, committee records, inscription books, plans, photographs, and related archives.
North East Museums (Great North Museum: Hancock): Family learning and public-engagement activities.
Newcastle University
Newcastle University: The institutional home of the project, providing academic, administrative, technical, funding, student, and engagement support.
School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences: The project’s academic and administrative base.
Newcastle University Research Software Engineering: Technical support for the Life Register website proof of concept.
Heritage, environmental and Specialist Expertise
Historic England: Advice on heritage significance, conservation, designation, and research.
Wild Intrigue: Ecological expertise and support for understanding the burial ground as an urban green space and habitat.
Creative and interpretive partners
Phoenix Folk, including Miggins Fiddle, and Harry Gallagher: Creators of Beneath This Ground, a collection of original folk tunes, songs, and poems inspired by Ballast Hills and the people laid to rest there.
Venues and practical supporters
Brinkburn St Brewery: Venue and practical support for events, performances, displays, and Heritage Open Days activities. Brinkburn also created Ballast Brown Ale in connection with the project, using brewing to help share the history of Ballast Hills and its links with the surrounding area.
We also thank the community organisations, businesses, schools, societies, and informal groups that have contributed venues, materials, publicity, expertise, volunteer time, and practical help.