Historic Scartho Cemetery Chapels Restored for Park Ward Voters in Local Elections

Today, as Park ward voters head to the polls for the local elections, they will have the unique opportunity to step inside the beautifully restored Scartho Cemetery Chapels.

Last year, after meticulous restoration work carried out by specialist contractors, the impressive Victorian chapel buildings were completed just in time for polling day.

North East Lincolnshire Council, in collaboration with their partner Equans, has undertaken the preservation of these chapels, with the restoration works entrusted to Burnley-based ‘UK Restoration Services‘.

The meticulous restoration was part of an extensive project aimed at reviving a cluster of buildings located at the entrance of Scartho Cemetery along Scartho Road.

Commencing work in August 2022, skilled stonemasons meticulously repointed the prominent chapel spire, carried out repairs on stonework including angle turrets and flying buttresses, and replaced deteriorating brickwork.

Inside the chapel, the flooring had suffered damage due to historical drainage issues.

After allowing the floor to sufficiently dry, contractors delicately removed the original tiles, conducting necessary groundworks beneath them.

The tiles were then painstakingly reinstated with any damaged pieces being replaced, providing an opportunity to restore the original cast-iron floor grilles as well.

The Scartho Chapel buildings, constructed in 1888, stand to the east of the main and inner gateways and serve as a focal point for those entering from Scartho Road.

These buildings, along with the Cemetery Lodge and inner gateway, form part of a Grade II listed grouping. The Chapels, designed by EW Farebrother for Grimsby Corporation Cemetery Committee, were built by J Thompson Builders of Grimsby.

Designed in a gothic revival style, these Chapels are crafted from red brick in an English bond with limestone dressings and a Westmoreland green slate roof.

As voters head to the polling stations for the local elections on May 2, the newly restored cemetery building will serve as one of nearly 100 voting locations across the borough where individuals can cast their ballots in person.

To learn more about the elections, visit [North East Lincolnshire Council’s official website] and search for “Elections” on the site.

This year’s elections will see the filling of one Ward Councillor seat in 12 wards of North East Lincolnshire. Keep in mind that voters are required to present photographic ID to vote in person during the local elections.

Polling stations will be open from 7 am to 10 pm on May 2, with ballot counting taking place overnight and results being declared incrementally as they come in.