Welcome to the Gorton & Philips park cemetery war graves site. On this site we are listing as many of the casualties we have found in both these two Manchester municipal cemeteries. These will consist of those who have fallen in the two great wars and have the graves provided and maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (C.W.G.C.), those who have private graves and those who have there names inscribed on family graves but are not buried withing these cemeteries. There are around 606 C.W.G.C. graves in both Gorton & Philips park cemeteries. These consist of 158 in Gorton cemetery and 448 in Philips park cemetery. To-date we have found records and may photos for over 560 graves in just the Philips park cemetery alone. Along with the C.W.G.C grave we have found many private graves with either service men & women buried within those graves or have their names inscribed on the gravestones. As we try to photograph as many of these graves that are still there, we expect to come across more graves with inscription on them. We hope to up date the files and photos as and when we find them.
We have a large collection of photographed headstones and memorials for both cemeteries. If you see any on this website and would like a larger version of any free of charge, please ask on our family history forum (link above) and we will happy to forward you a copy. Also if you have any photograph that we don't have and would be willing to let us put on this website, again please contact us via the Manchester & Salford family history forum. To view a larger version of any memorial records images on this website, just click on the image.
We have a large collection of photographed headstones and memorials for both cemeteries. If you see any on this website and would like a larger version of any free of charge, please ask on our family history forum (link above) and we will happy to forward you a copy. Also if you have any photograph that we don't have and would be willing to let us put on this website, again please contact us via the Manchester & Salford family history forum. To view a larger version of any memorial records images on this website, just click on the image.
GORTON CEMETERY
Gorton cemetery first opened in 1900, prior to this many of the local burial took place at Philips park , St. Joseph Moston, St. James & Brookfield Unitarian Church. The cemetery is set in around 32 acres and contains over 80,000 people buried within it's grounds. At one time just like Philips park cemetery, Gorton cemetery had three chapels but again sadly through vandalism, they were left to fall into disrepair and were demolished a few years back. The area that once housed these chapels has now been grassed over. Recently a screen wall memorial with the names of some of the casualties from both world conflicts has been erected. There are also special memorials commemorating casualties whose graves from Brookfield Unitarian Chapel graveyard can no longer be maintained.
Gorton cemetery is located at the bottom of Thornwood avenue on Alvastone road, Gorton.
The post code for your Sat-nav & Google-earth: M18 7HN.
Gorton cemetery first opened in 1900, prior to this many of the local burial took place at Philips park , St. Joseph Moston, St. James & Brookfield Unitarian Church. The cemetery is set in around 32 acres and contains over 80,000 people buried within it's grounds. At one time just like Philips park cemetery, Gorton cemetery had three chapels but again sadly through vandalism, they were left to fall into disrepair and were demolished a few years back. The area that once housed these chapels has now been grassed over. Recently a screen wall memorial with the names of some of the casualties from both world conflicts has been erected. There are also special memorials commemorating casualties whose graves from Brookfield Unitarian Chapel graveyard can no longer be maintained.
Gorton cemetery is located at the bottom of Thornwood avenue on Alvastone road, Gorton.
The post code for your Sat-nav & Google-earth: M18 7HN.
PHILIPS PARK CEMETERY
Philips park sits on around 45 acres of land which now comes under the Eastlands area of Manchester and is more or less a facing the recently built Manchester city football ground. The cemetery was first opened in 1866 and was Manchester's first municipal cemetery and is divided into three sections. These are: Church of England, nonconformist and Roman Catholic. In July 1872 what has now become known as "The great flood" , the banks of the river Medlock burst it's banks and washed away a large section of the paths, headstones and many of the graves in the Roman Catholic area.
In the autumn of 2008 thieves stole five of the bronze memorial plaques worth about 2 to 300 pounds scrap that were dedicated to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for king, country & family . They were eventually replaced in November 2009 at a coast of nearly £10,000 and were made in Australia.
Over the last few years Manchester city council has been working hard to renovate a lot of the areas within the cemetery, sadly the chapels had been left to fall in to disrepair and the Roman Catholic chapel was demolished. The one remaining chapel last time i was there, has no slates on the roof and all the stained glass windows boarded up. Hopefully one day they will refurbish this one remaining chapel.
Philips park sits on around 45 acres of land which now comes under the Eastlands area of Manchester and is more or less a facing the recently built Manchester city football ground. The cemetery was first opened in 1866 and was Manchester's first municipal cemetery and is divided into three sections. These are: Church of England, nonconformist and Roman Catholic. In July 1872 what has now become known as "The great flood" , the banks of the river Medlock burst it's banks and washed away a large section of the paths, headstones and many of the graves in the Roman Catholic area.
In the autumn of 2008 thieves stole five of the bronze memorial plaques worth about 2 to 300 pounds scrap that were dedicated to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for king, country & family . They were eventually replaced in November 2009 at a coast of nearly £10,000 and were made in Australia.
Over the last few years Manchester city council has been working hard to renovate a lot of the areas within the cemetery, sadly the chapels had been left to fall in to disrepair and the Roman Catholic chapel was demolished. The one remaining chapel last time i was there, has no slates on the roof and all the stained glass windows boarded up. Hopefully one day they will refurbish this one remaining chapel.
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