Sheffield General Cemetery (Sept 2014)
On Saturday I fancied a change and thought “OK instead of scrabbling under fences, climbing over walls and teetering on the edge of some dangerous abyss – none of which are overburdened with dignity. I thought I would have a stroll around Sheffield General Cemetery. Now I’m not sure whether this is actually classed as a legit urbex location – given that the place is open to the public who are invited nay encouraged to wander around (if gazing at the graves of the dead is where you get your jollies). I had also purchased a new fisheye lens that I was dying (poor choice of word!) to try out.
Well an OK visit as it turned out – place was much smaller than I thought (this is a city cemetery after all) but more to do with the fact that I got some much needed exercise and saw lots of photo opportunities (not all related to the grim reaper). A couple of buildings such as the church and a mausoleum were quite interesting but couldn’t really see any way to gain access (but then on the ladder of bravery I am barely clinging to the bottom rung). I also found lots of dark and mysterious paths, areas deep in shadow and rich in foliage, artefacts from bygone times and cracked and broken graves worn by the ravages of time cloaked in decay and shrouded in mystery and a great big rock mounted on a bouncy pile of tarmac – but no idea what this was for except to act as a canvas for more graffiti artists. There was also a pile of Hindu books left on a bench for some reason.
From a safety point of view it was a change not to have to navigate my way through fallen masonry, broken glass, machinery that had been chucked from a forth story window and gaggles of scrap metal hunters.
I noticed that – given that this was a dull and rainy day of the week - that the place did seem incredibly popular – teeming with life in fact! Little old ladies, couples strolling along hand in hand, people ambling their way to heaven (there I go again) knows where. But on a more worrying note I also encountered quite a few people of the disagreeable persuasion (not that I stopped to question them or anything) wandering around with cans of beer, shouting obscenities and leering in that “wot yer lookin at?” kind of way. So ironically I felt more fearful for my personal safety and my photographic equipment in this public place than I have ever done stood on my own in the middle of a deserted building.
A decent couple of hours but won’t be returning in a hurry.
Thanks for looking!