Friends of Raikes Road Burial Ground
Winter 2016 / Spring 2017
News Archive
Please use the News menu (top of the page) to read about activities in previous years.
Skiptonians Day
We have been busy over the last few months and had a spectacular end to our Open Days with the “Skiptonians of Raikes Road” event on 17th September 2016 when we had nearly 120 people visit.
10 people, including Skipton Town Council employees, took on various roles and gave out leaflets and – in the case of the confectionary maker – funeral biscuits. This event helped to put “flesh back on bones” of these people and allowed visitors to see them in Victorian dress and hear their stories. The photographs show some of the people taking part.
The Wade Family
We were also privileged to have members of the Wade family with us, who travelled from Bedford and Manchester. They are the descendants of Thomas Wade, the Sexton for both Raikes Road and the Churchyard.
Events
Open Days 2017
This year, they will all be held on the following Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with guided walks at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Stout footwear essential:
6th May
17th June
12th August
7th October
AGM
Our next quarterly meeting, which is also the AGM, will be held on Tuesday evening, 25th April, 2017 at 7 p.m. at Skipton Town Council.
Chapel Excavations
Having successfully excavated last year and found the back wall of the Chapel, we returned again with the same team and over a weekend at the end of October, we were able to expose all the walls of the building. Finds included quite a lot of terracotta tiling, which may have been on the walls and/or floor, but analysis of the finds is still in progress. It is hoped to return again next year to expose the interior. One of the quirks seems to be that the foundations are rather substantial for what has been a small building.
Our New Sign
We are no longer anonymous! The Ground is now identified by a sign by the gate.
Members of the Wade family next to the gravestone of their ancestor, Thomas Wade.
