News  »  Press Release re Banwell Cemetery Wall

Banwell Parish Council – Press Release

Banwell Parish Council own, maintain and manage the Cemetery which is adjacent to the graveyard of St. Andrews Church, Banwell.

The South Wall of the Cemetery, known as the Abbey Wall, is showing signs of distress with cracks and bowing clearly present.  With public safety in mind, the Parish Council have commissioned a structural survey on the wall.

The survey report concludes that the wall may not be safe, and further cracking and/or bowing would be expected if the wall was left in its present state. It is conceivable that sections of the wall could collapse in adverse weather conditions.

The section of the cemetery nearest the wall contains forty-one plots where cremated ashes have been buried.

As a temporary measure the Parish Council has decided to cordon off a section of the cemetery to prevent the public coming into close proximity of the wall.  The cemetery footpath will be within the excluded area.  A temporary alternative footpath may be installed. There will be no access to the forty-one plots whilst the area is cordoned off.

Consideration will be given later to the issue of repairing or replacing the wall permanently.

Banwell Parish Council wishes to make contact with relatives of the people buried next to the Abbey Wall as a matter of urgency.Could relatives, or anyone with information on the whereabouts of relatives, please contact the Parish Clerk on 01934 820442 or email clerk@banwellpc.org.uk. A list of the people buried near to the wall is available upon request.