Calverley Rotary Club Tour

On the evening of 13th August 2024, 16 members of the Rotary Club of Calverley had a very interesting tour of The Rehoboth Gaveyard in Farsley to see the wonderful work undertaken by volunteers to start to bring the cemetery back so people can now visit.

Farsley Rehoboth burial ground covers two acres and is situated off Coal Hill Lane, Farsley, Leeds LS28 5NA, close to the junction with Bagley Lane within a Conservation Area.

The Rehoboth was a place of internment from 1785 to 2000 and reflected the growth of Farsley, in particular its textile industry with many prominent residents buried behind its walls.

In total there are circa 4,000 local people interred in the Rehoboth all with their own stories and contribution to the history of Farsley and surrounding areas.

For decades there was no access to visit the hundreds of graves, which included 8 registered War Graves. The neglect to the steep and wooded two acre site meant that its trees, shrubs and vines had grown out of control, covering all of the paths and headstones, making the site completely inaccessible.

Their charity was established in 2019 and since then, with the help of over 90 volunteers they have restored an acre of the land and graves to their former state.

The land itself has now been returned to the people of Farsley, Rodley and Stanningley as a Community Asset

The aim of the charity, as stated in their application, is;

To promote, for the public benefit, the preservation, care and improvement of Farsley Rehoboth Burial Ground as a place of historic and ecological interest. The charity would also advance the education of the public through the preservation and maintenance of Farsley Rehoboth Burial Ground.