Priest tells of mourners’ 'distress' as council 'abandons' church graveyard

St John the Evangelist church is located at Boothroyd Lane, Dewsbury Moor, and dates back to 1818.

It is set in a large churchyard with a number of graves, some of those having “significant historical interest” its website explains. However, the area is quickly becoming overgrown, with images showing waist-height vegetation obscuring graves.

Associate Priest, Revd Neil Walpole, explained that the churchyard closed around three years ago, with Kirklees Council taking on the responsibility for its maintenance.

He said: “Over the last year or so maintenance by Kirklees has become, at best, patchy, and lately the graveyard has been abandoned by them, leaving the grass around the graves waist high.

“St John’s Rector Revd, Caroline Greenwood, is now receiving two or three emails and letters complaining about the situation. Kirklees Council need to understand the distress that this causes to those who are still mourning their loved ones and who come week in week out to tend to their loved ones’ graves.

"To them it is not just the graveyard that has been abandoned, but mums, dads, children, aunts and uncles, many of whom had contributed greatly to the community when alive.

“As a church, caring for our community, we hope that Kirklees will realise the damage that such neglect has caused and once again take up their responsibility to keep the graveyard in good order.

"This is particularly a problem and dangerous for visitors who are quite frail and unable to safely navigate uneven ground because of the undergrowth.”

Dewsbury West ward councillors Tanisha Bramwell and Ammar Anwar have spoken out against the lack of action from the council, rallying the community together and organising a community-led clean up and cutback to “restore the dignity” of the site. Further details about the event will be shared in the coming days.

“The cemetery has been left in a disgraceful state,” said Coun Bramwell. “Graves are no longer visible due to excessive overgrowth, and the area is now overwhelmed with unmanaged wildlife. This is not just about upkeep—it’s about respect for the deceased and their families.

“Many of us have loved ones laid to rest here. The neglect is not only unacceptable, it’s deeply hurtful. It also speaks to the wider issue of how disconnected this current cabinet is from the needs of North Kirklees communities.”

Her ward colleague, Coun Ammar Anwar, said: “The condition of St John’s Church cemetery is completely unacceptable. As councillors, we have a duty to stand up for the dignity of our community and that includes the care of our loved ones’ final resting places.

"Alongside Coun Bramwell, I will fight to ensure the voices of our residents are heard, and that this site receives the respect, maintenance and attention it deserves. This cannot continue to be ignored.”

This isn’t the first time the area has been in such a state, with Coun Bramwell leading a grassroots campaign alongside members of the community back in 2020, where volunteers cleaned and maintained the cemetery.

The councillor said this came on the back of “council inaction”, and reiterated that the local authority later committed to regular maintenance of the site, with this not being upheld.

Kirklees Council has been approached for comment and asked why the cemetery has been allowed to get into this condition and what its responsibility is for the maintenance of the site.

The council was also asked if any measures would be taken to address the ongoing issue. However, the council had not issued a response by the time of publication.