‘A government order required that the Churchyard should be closed, and the parishioners resolved to form a Burial Board.’ So begins Peter Orlando Hutchinson’s entry on the creation of Sidmouth Cemetery in 1878, in the 4th volume of the history of Sidmouth
Sidmouth is a small seaside town in East Devon near the Dorset border and set within the Jurassic Coast World Heritage site. It is notable for its architecture and listed buildings and the cemetery buildings are worth a visit even though they are at a distance from its centre. The collection of buildings consists of a Lodge at the entrance and a pair of chapels joined together by an archway, surmounted by a turret, over a central drive: these were all designed by the same architect and erected at the same time.
The Cemetery can be found at Temple Street, Sidmouth, EX10 9BN and is owned by East Devon District Council (EDDC).
Cherishing Sidmouth Cemeteries was launched in November 2023 in response to public disquiet over how some burial grounds in the Sid Valley were looking neglected. The intention is to work with EDDC to increase public satisfaction with the state of the cemetery, and the biodiversity within the cemetery. If the partnership proves successful it is hoped that the group can eventually expand its work to other Sidmouth burial grounds.