Local History Walk
For once the weather was kind for our summer evening walk. In fact it was a perfect evening when we met at the gates of the old Moorgate Cemetery. We are very fortunate that we have a member- Joyce- who is a qualified local guide and extremely knowledgeable about Rotherham’s fascinating industrial history.
The cemetery is no longer available for burials, other than family additions to existing vaults. It was opened during the cholera epidemic which caused so many deaths through the unsafe water supply. But in it are to be found the graves and memorials of almost all of Rotherham’s famous industrialists and businessmen from early Victorian times onwards. We learned along the way about local iron and steel production, which has contributed so much to so many major engineering projects everywhere. We also heard about the huge contribution of Mr Chrimes, of Guest and Chrimes to the improvement of public health through the invention of the valve tap to facilitate the supply of clean water.
We felt he deserved to be better known.
The cemetery was a fascinating place, which most of us had never previously visited, even though some of us live very close by. It also provides a fascinating view over the Don Valley and its industrial landscape.
We just had time to walk into Boston Park, and hear a little of its history too.
We finished the evening at Joyce’s house looking at her considerable collection of books and documents relating to Rotherham’s industrial past.
Thanks are due to Joyce for a fascinating evening.
