People's Heritage Co-operative
Lodge Hill Old Chapel, now a ruin
Field of Remembrance

Meeting Birmingham Legends, walking Through History at Lodge Hill Cemetery

Marcus Belben

As Birmingham Heritage Week celebrated its 10th anniversary, we took the opportunity to spend time at Lodge Hill Cemetery. Here, in the natural beauty, gravestones and quiet contemplation, lies a rich tapestry of Birmingham’s history, waiting to be unraveled.

Nikki and Marcus from the People’s Heritage Co-operative led a journey through the cemetery dsicovering the stories and lives of Birmingham people. We encountered Birmingham legends like Bertha Ryland Birmimgham suffragette, Charles Alexander Gospel singer, Abraham Blitz conjuror, Gilbert Barling surgeon and first Chair of Birmingham Civic society, Charles Lapworth geologist and teacher, and the many Cadbury’s buried here. We also paid our respects to the 498 World War 1 soldiers laid to rest here, their stories a powerful reminder of sacrifice.

(Click the link below to watch the video of our heritage trail)

Thanks Diane Malcolm, Soheila Javaheri and Richard Albutt supporting research.

Please support Heritage week and all our local heritage organisations big and small, so we don’t lose these valuable spaces and roots to our heritage.

Grave of Abraham Blitz
An illusionist hidden in the undergrowth
Grave of James Norton
James Norton’s grave, well kept by the Norton Club and Salvation Army
Damaged graves at Lodge Hill Cemetery
Beyond the Grave of Lapworth many of the gravestones are in a poor state.
Grave of Charles Alexander
Written in and around the grave – family and friends inscribed for eternity
Grave of John Charles Aston.
Finding unexpected signs and symbols on graves
Angel on a gravestone
Nature reclaims the graves
Lodge Hill Old Chapel, now a ruin
Thanks to everyone who came to our event – we discovered from a participant the old chapel (in use into the 1960s) was designed so the Hearse would stop under the arch. The coffin could be carried into either the Church of England Chapel (left) or Ecumenical Chapel to the right. People could enter separately via the doors to the left and right of the buildings for services, so two services could run at the same time.