Lost memorials revealed

In all, thirteen cemeteries and church yards have been worked on and it is the first time that cemeteries have had year-round maintenance.

Brambles and hedgerows have been cut back, ivy cleared from gates and walls, and footpaths cleaned and tidied.

Several unwanted trees that had grown up in random spots have also been removed.

It was in Tonge cemetery that council workers found the biggest surprises.

Several large monuments to the Blair and Glaister families were reclaimed from the undergrowth, along with the gravestones of Thomas Cullen and John Orton.

Cullen was mayor of Bolton from 1841 to 1842 and then a magistrate until his death in 1859. Orton was mayor in 1859 and 1860.

Also uncovered was the grave of Ann Mercy, who was the wife of the Reverand Henry Powell, vicar of Bolton from 1857 to 1886.

In some cases, it is the first time the memorials have been seen in decades.

The improvements are the work of two new teams at Bolton Council.

Created last year thanks to new funding, the four-person teams are marking 12 months in the job by releasing photographs of their efforts.

Now, with the end of winter on the horizon, the teams will soon return to the main work of spring and summer – mowing and cutting back the grass and weeds on the many hectares they are responsible for.

They have also been drafted in to help with the upkeep of other green spaces like allotments, bowling greens and play areas.

Bolton Council’s Executive Member for Climate Change and Environment, Cllr Richard Silvester, said:

“The new teams are a real step forward in maintaining and improving Bolton’s cemeteries and green spaces and I am very pleased with their hard work.

“It is plain to see that it has made a big difference and we know from the comments that the team receive almost daily from members of the public that their efforts are really appreciated.

“It is a mark of the council’s commitment to our public spaces.”