Cemetery tree works result in road closure

A road closure will take place on South Road, Alnwick between 9.30am and 3pm on January 28th  to 31st to enable urgent tree works to take place in Alnwick Cemetery.

The Town Council apologies for the inconvenience but it is necessary for work to be carried out on several lime trees at the front on the cemetery.

The road will be closed from the entrance to Willowburn Trading Estate to just before the entrance to Sawmill Industrial Estate with signed diversions in place during this time.

The works are part of the Town Council lime tree strategy which was produced a number of years ago to maintain the health and wellbeing of the 70+ lime trees which are part of the cemetery’s original tree planting scheme for as long as possible.

Each year work is undertaken to pollard around 10 of the lime trees and this work, along with works identified during regular tree surveys, is used by Alnwick Town Council to ensure the conservation of the 500+ trees on the 13-acre site.

The Cemetery was opened in 1856 for the people of Alnwick and Denwick and is managed and maintained by Alnwick Town Council. The original cemetery covered six acres with the original tree planting being on a grand scale to match the planting at Alnwick Castle designed by Capability Brown.

Currently the cemetery has almost 19,000 burials and offers consecrated and unconsecrated plots as well as a small natural burial area. Regular tree planting also takes place including planting 17 native trees to replace those damaged during Storm Arwen in 2021.

As well as the trees in Alnwick Cemetery, Alnwick Town Council plants trees around the town through community planting projects. They have recently taken
ownership of the Thomas Percy Wood and adjoining site where additional tree planting is programmed to develop the site to provide another area for the
community to enjoy.