Undercliffe Cemetery Charity

14/06/2026

Great weather for a tour🌞
Few places left and payable on the door. Tour starts at 11:00. Meet three England internationals, two brothers who lost their lives in WW1 and four Lord Mayors. All buried in our magnificent historic cemetery. Refreshments included in the price. Doors open 10:30. £12:00 entrance. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of the cemetery.

10/06/2026

Big sky at Undercliffe today and we have a few tickets left for Sunday’s tour. Great forecast and a fantastic opportunity to explore this magnificent historic cemetery where almost every grave has a story to tell. To book tickets (to guarantee your place) just scan the QR code on the poster or click on the link in this post. It will be possible to pay ‘on the door’ but places may be limited! Looking forward to meeting you all😊
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/consecrated-a-and-the-mayoral-quartet-tickets-1990720302012

08/06/2026

Our phone line is down at the moment - it seems that the whole area is having problems with telecoms. We have been told it will be repaired by 6pm tomorrow [Tuesday 9 June] - Fingers crossed!

01/06/2026

Today, we held a brief yet deeply moving service to commemorate the 15 children from the Barnardo’s Home for Little Incurables who are buried at Undercliffe.
This worthy project culminated in a fitting tribute to all those who gave their time and dedication so freely—from the Undercliffe researchers and the Barnardo’s team to Graham Swain and his team, who lovingly restored the grave. Their restoration included a custom-made set of landings with individual nameplates commemorating each of the children laid to rest there.
Many of you will recall our original post from December 2025 about the discovery of the grave, we could never have foreseen the incredible interest, both locally and nationally, that this post generated. Featuring not only on the BBC but in most national newspapers throughout the country. One 86 year old lady, Mrs Patricia Carey, living in Brentwood, Essex, saw the story and recognised one of the children’s’ names - James Alfred Elton - and contacted us at the cemetery believing that this child, originally from the docks area of East London, could possibly be her grandfather’s twin brother. And indeed he was!
Poor little James was taken into care by Doctor Barnardo’s suffering from ‘spinal caries, general tuberculosis and asthenia’, he passed away in the Bradford home on February 13th 1900 aged 15.
Needless to say, we were delighted that Patricia, along with her brother, Peter, were able to attend today’s event. Remarkably, Megan Parker, the archivist at Barnardo’s in London, managed to find two photos of James that were taken when he entered their care.
What a truly incredible story.
The photographs of James are published here with the kind permission of Barnardo’s.
We hope you enjoy the photos.

A short video of today’s event is available to view on Riaz’s YouTube channel, Bradford Through the Lens’ Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqNA55uhRg8

31/05/2026

A tour with a difference!

Join tour guides Andy and John in the Consecrated 'A' section and the Mayoral quartet.

Concentrating on one of our most interesting areas of the Cemetery - and ideal for those who may not appreciate a lot of walking - your guide, Andy Tyne, will be relating the fascinating stories of some of our residents buried or remembered in one section very close to The Lodge - Consecrated ‘A', and what a rich variety of tales there are.
There's an international sportsman, someone with a truly A1 Undercliffe heritage, another with a name from a Carry On film that didn't quite match his professional history, two brothers who died in the Battle of the Somme, one of the 56 who died in the Bradford City fire disaster and several more.

Continuing the tour, your next guide, John Jackson, will take us round the corner to the Victorian Mayoral Quarter where four of Bradford’s distinguished Mayors are laid to rest. Once regarded as one of the wealthiest cities in the British Empire, he'll share some information that truly reflects Bradford's rich and prosperous heritage.

TO BOOK: Scan the QR code on the poster or click on this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/consecrated-a-and-the-mayoral-quartet-tickets-1990720302012?aff=oddtdtcreator

28/05/2026

Big shout out to my newest top fans! Pamela Dooling, Stephen Wood, Jean Furniss, Martin Lonsdale, Sylvia Taylor, Martin Singleton, Tony Bissett

10/05/2026

Join us on Sunday, 17 May at 11am as we tell tales of just how the great and good in Bradford ensured the town became one of the leading lights in education . . .
John and Gaynor have some interesting tales to tell.
Teas & coffees and biscuits included in ticket😄
Scan the QR code on the poster or visit Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/educating-bradford-tickets-1988540500166?aff=oddtdtcreator

06/05/2026

A fine Spring day at our magnificent cemetery, the bluebells are in bloom and the grounds team are busy as ever. Brambles have been cleared from the Oates Ingham monument (founder of Bradford Park Avenue FC) in time for a family visit - all the way from Australia! Another Great War casualty’s epitaph discovered - 19 year old Samuel Spencer of the 4th Seaforth Highlanders (many Seaforths are found in the cemetery as they actively recruited in Bradford during WW1). Samuel lived a stone’s throw away from the cemetery on Pollard Lane.

Then of course, we have the usual fantastic work of the local stonemasons including the monument to Edwin Hanby, watchmaker and jeweller of Bradford.

Don’t forget, we are a working cemetery, a choice of burial plots and ashes scattering areas are available for purchase in our Historic England registered Cemetery. All part of Bradford’s History in Stone.

If you wish to see more of the Cemetery, why not join us on a tour? Next one on Sunday 17th May. See previous post for details.

As a registered Local Nature Reserve we are always looking for keen gardeners and botanists to join the team. Interested? Just drop us a line or turn up any Tuesday morning.

02/05/2026

If you're interested in joining our 'Educating Bradford' tour on Sunday 17th May - just scan the QR code on the poster, this will take you to the Eventbrite page where you can purchase tickets AND see full details about the tour. Limited places available!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/educating-bradford-tickets-1988540500166?aff=oddtdtcreator

01/05/2026

Our next tour of the season is Educating Bradford — a fascinating journey into the people who shaped education in the city.

Join us as we uncover the stories of the dedicated men who served on the new school board, the benefactors who funded scholarships for girls, and the remarkable women who worked tirelessly to raise money for school buildings and equipment.

Why are so few women teachers buried at Undercliffe, despite women making up the majority of the profession for generations? Together, we’ll explore the mystery behind this surprising discovery.

We’ll also delve into the lives of some of the earliest teachers laid to rest at Undercliffe — and perhaps uncover an exciting revelation along the way.

Your guides, John and Gaynor, will lead you through the captivating stories of headmasters, teachers, and educational pioneers who helped shape Bradford’s future.
The tour takes place on Sunday 17th May starting at 11am - our cafe will be open for refreshments from about 10.15am.
Tickets are available through Eventbrite - click the link below to purchase your ticket. Just £10 plus a small booking fee - your ticket also includes refreshments.

Join us as we uncover the stories of the remarkable people who championed education for Bradford’s children