January 2026..

Brockhall Cemetery interest

Attempts to identify and contact relatives of people who are buried within the Cemetery have been successful and are continuing. We are pleased to have identified relatives in each of the three religiously separated sections of the Cemetery, who are generally among the post-1970 burials but we already have contacts with relatives from earlier years. We are now reaching out to the many other relatives of the deceased, neighbours, former staff of the hospital, and the congregation of St Leonard's Church as well as other interested parties who may have no previous connection with the Cemetery or the Hospital, to join us in considering the Cemetery's future. We hope to arrange a meeting in the Brockhall area in early March and would welcome contact  at calderstonescemetery@gmail.com from anybody wishing to attend the meeting or participate via the internet. For the time being we will continue to use the Calderstones Cemetery email connection, but it may be appropriate to establish a bespoke email address for Brockhall enquiries at a later date.   

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                                           Latest Brockhall Cemetery enquiries

     Informative and productive enquiries with the local representative of the current owners, have continued and we have established a good understanding of what might be involved in the future stewardship and protection of the cemetery, however that might be achieved. An incomplete but detailed history of the Cemetery from its inception in 1936/7 to current times has been established with the support of the Lancashire Archives, former staff of the Hospital  and our own old records. We are in touch with representatives of the Dunkenhalgh Estate who originally donated the land and have a copy of the latest Land Registry record of ownership of the Title, but there are still some boundary lines and responsibilities which need to be clarified. Unfortunately, attempts to contact representatives of the now redundant St Leonard's Church and the Diocese of Blackburn, both of whom, might be able to assist with our enquiries has not yet produced results. However, contact with the Church Conservation Trust who are currently responsible for maintaining the former church, but not the churchyard and St.Leonard's Cemetery have been very useful. 

 As any visitor to the Brockhall Cemetery would see, the grounds are generally well-maintained with the grass cut regularly, but the overgrown hedges and self-seeded trees, especially in the Roman Catholic section at the western end of the Cemetery need attention. After the exceptionally wet weather of recent months, there has also been concern about some waterlogging in the C section of the Cemetery variously described as the "Non-conformist," "Other religions" or "Jewish section" in the past, which will need to be closely monitored

                            Calderstones Cemetery 2018 - More Photos

        We have some further drone photos of the Cemetery taken in 2018 which appear to show lots of unexplained workings and markings in the ground which we were not previously aware of. There may be simple explanations of what occurred in these areas but it is confusing that several appear to be in parts of the cemetery away from the chapels and gardens of remembrance. Before the photos are posted on the site we need to check the details. They appear to have been taken on two separate days the 1st and the 11th August 2018, but we want to be as accurate as possible and await further clarification between those two dates.

                                    Update on the Faculty process

Following the Consistory Court hearing on 17th December the Friends were required to submit a formal statement of our objection to the Court, with copies to the Plaintiff and their legal representative by 30th January 2026. That deadline was met and on receipt of our statement, the Plaintiff is now required to make a formal response to that document by the 27th February. We will continue to update members on any developments.

February 2026

                               Brockhall Cemetery - ownership records

    Recent enquiries with the Lancashire Records Office and individuals who have been associated with the Cemetery in the past, have given us a fuller but not necessarily complete record of its ownership history.  The Cemetery was established in the late 1930's and consecrated on the 27th March 1939. The land for the cemetery was donated by the Petre family as part of the Dunkenhalgh estate. The exact details of that transfer and its boundary responsibilities are still unconfirmed but it does appear that the adjoining St. Leonard's Church was responsible for the joint southern boundary. From 1939 to 1991 the Cemetery was part of Brockhall Hospital and as such, was in the ownership/stewardship of the NHS. In 1991, the whole hospital site was controversially transferred to a Mr Gerald Hitman; he assumed that he was the owner of the Cemetery and erected the memorial monument in 1993. In a further controversy in October 2000 the NHS sold the site pre-auction to a Mr Tony Walsh. Mr Hitman disputed the sale, but by that time, the sale had been completed. In early 2001 discussions took place involving the relevant parties and led to Mr Walsh selling the Cemetery back to the Hitman family, but to a Mr Harry Hitman rather than his father, Gerald Hitman. From 2001 until his death in 2017, the Cemetery remained in the ownership of Harry Hitman, when  a we believe  it was transferred to his mother Mrs Helen Hitman.

                                              Latest drone photos

We recently received a series of 10 drone photos of the Cemetery (see example below) believed to have been taken on the 1st August 2018 and therefore show the Cemetery shortly after all work on the roadways which had taken place without faculty permission had been stopped. The significant earthworks which were shown previously had also been replaced and relaid. However, these drone photos show evidence of possible earthworks or activity in other areas of the Cemetery, including the site of the proposed development, which we have not seen before.  There may be  simple survey or construction explanations for what can be seen in the various sites which are shown. Fortunately, we are still in touch with people who may be able to resolve any uncertainties about them, and will share any further information which they are able to provide, Some members and readers may not recall that in January 2018 following the confirmation that the Cemetery was consecrated ground, access to the Cemetery was at first denied and subsequently boarded off for a long time. It was for that reason that resourceful members began to use drone photography to allow us to see what was happening within the Cemetery, and provide the valuable information which we have today. 

 We are grateful that following the intervention of a local politician in 2021, the restrictive boards were taken down and access via the previous arrangements was restored, allowing relatives and friends to visit.

                                                        David Pinder

David Pinder, who has done an enormous amount of work for the Friends in relation to both the Calderstones and Brockhall Cemeteries has decided to stand down, take a rest and concentrate on his many other voluntary activities within the local community.  David took responsibility for all the Friend's time-consuming research and contacts with the MOJ in relation to sections 5 and 8 of the Cremation Act 1902, and represented us in contact with local and national political representatives. He has generously volunteered to continue his work with the local community, especially those living within the 200-yard zone, in respect of any objection or action concerning the Cremation Act. David's comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of that legislation will be appreciated by his neighbours.

  As well as his substantial contribution in respect of the Calderstones Cemetery, David still found time to lead on our early contacts with representatives of the current owners of Brockhall Cemetery, producing a substantive assessment and analysis of the potential benefits and liabilities for the Friends in assuming any role in the future stewardship and operation of the Brockhall Cemetery. The clarity of his assessment and recommendations for further research and action, represents our current position and will  form the template of those who will continue this vital work in the future. 

   We would like to place on record our appreciation for all the work he has done and responsibilities which he willingly undertook and performed so well. Obviously, we will miss him, but wish him well in taking a well-deserved rest before resuming his other voluntary work within and beyond the local community. 

                        Hospital Cemetery Records

As part of our recent research with the Lancashire Archives, we have discovered that while the substantial collection of records from Brockhall and Calderstones cemeteries which the Archives has been given is acknowledged and are available, they have not yet been listed within or alongside the other "Hospitals and Workhouses" section. This appears to be an administrative delay or oversight which hopefully will be resolved in due course. However, the full records for the Whittingham Hospital Cemetery are available, and it is possible that records from the cemeteries of other hospitals and former workhouses may also be available

Brockhall 1937- a different age

Recent enquiries at the Archives have revealed interesting information about the numbers and ages of people (patients) living at the hospital/institution in 1937 and a fascinating description of the abilities and employability of those people. Four years after Brockhall separated from Calderstones to become an independent and self-managed State facility providing long-term or permanent care for people who were said to be unable to live independently because of their intellectual disabilities and other social problems the institution was a very different place to what would become post-War Brockhall.  The total resident population was 796 when by the late 50's that figure would be 2200. There were 519 female resident compared with 277 males perhaps reflecting Brockhall's earlier function as a reformatory for women who were said to have problems with alcohol abuse. In later years, as the population increased the number of male residents would exceed the female total. The age distribution is interesting, the youngest person being 11 and the oldest 70, compared with 1 (1966) to 92 (1973) 98.11% of the 1937 population are between 11 and 55, its a comparatively young population. 

The figures show that in the year to September there had been 44 new admissions. the youngest such admission being 13, the oldest 36, and the number of females is greater than males, which might reflect not only the priority of need but also the availability of newly built residential accommodation (wards) on the site

  The revealing information about the abilities of the people shows that only 64 people, 9% of the September population of 717 people were sick, infirm or unemployable. The rest were described as being actively and constructively employed in some form of activity, contributing to the the day to day operation of the Institution. The reference to the Low Grade Workroom for both male and female residents would suggest that everybody who could contribute, whatever their abilities would be engaged in communal activities away from the Ward or living area.

 The conditional licencing of individuals to spend short or long periods away from Brockhall The "release" and "return" with the "escaped" and "recaptured" details remind us that all 796 residents were legally certified and compulsorily detained, neither they, nor their relatives had the option of leaving. Perhaps it is the fundamental change in society's attitudes and the rights of people which are so evident from these records.

March 2026

Faculty Application - Latest

Remembrance Parks Construction Ltd, the plaintiff's who have applied to the Consistory Court for faculty permission to construct roadways and car parks on consecrated ground within the Calderstones Cemetery complied with the Court's timetable on the 27th February and produced a detailed response to the statement which was submitted to the Court on behalf of the Friends on the 30th January.  To further comply with the Court's timetable, the Friends are now required to respond to the plaintiff's statement by Friday 13th March with copies to the relevant parties involved.

Faculty objection

      The third phase of the faculty process in which the Friends were required to formally respond to the submission of the Petitioner, Remembrance Parks Construction Ltd dated 26th February, was completed and returned to the Diocesan Registrar on the 12th March. Once again, we are indebted to the skilled advice and support of our legal adviser;  our case has been presented professionally and we have complied with the directions and timelines of the Consistory Court. Members will be aware that after the Chancellor/Judge has received all the relevant submissions and information, he will be in a position to consider the application for faculty and our objection to that application, before reaching any conclusion or decision. At this time, we do not know how long that process might take but understand that there is a substantial amount of documentation to consider.

The Law Commission response

In January 2025, at the invitation of the Law Commission who were considering a review of the current legislation in relation to Burials and Cremations, the Friends submitted a report in which we gave our views on the proposed reform of legislation based on our experiences at both .Brockhall and Calderstones Hospital Cemeteries. On 18th March we received an email from the Law Commission with a link to a copy of its newly published Burial and Cremation: Final Report. We are pleased to say that our views and suggestions are acknowledged by the Commission in its 394-page report in which it makes a clear series of recommendations, some of which, including recommendations 57 and 58 appear to have direct relevance to the Calderstones Cemetery and will be discussed in more detail after we have had time to study the document in more detail.

    Law Commission email

Cancelled visit

 Graham Livings and other representatives of the Friends of Mendip Hospital Cemetery had arranged to visit us in Whalley on 7th April and intended visiting both Brockhall and Calderstones Cemeteries. However, the visit was unfortunately cancelled a few days beforehand, when 86-year old Graham, then in Doncaster, had to return suddenly to his home in Minehead, Somerset. Members will recall Graham's consistent support and advocacy for our campaign over many years. 

We have since heard that Graham is now back home and has already resumed to his active advocacy on behalf of different campaign groups who are experiencing similar issues  with Church and Local Authorities. We hope to see Graham and his fellow members at some future date 

Faculty Application

We have received a copy of the Chancellor's very detailed and complex determination in relation to the primary issue which he had been asked to consider. For most members, the 48-page determination deals with the issue of whether or not it might be possible to use consecrated ground for secular purposes, using language and historical precedents which might be difficult to follow, but we are blessed with expert legal advice to guide us laymen through the details. It is important to note that the Chancellor was looking at the general principle, which might apply to the use of all consecrated land rather than making a specific determination on the use of consecrated land within the Calderstones Cemetery. The Chancellor appears to have found that there may be circumstances in which consecrated land might be used for secular     purposes, depending on the specific circumstances and merits of each individual application for such a use. It's a complex determination and members who wish to study the full text are advised that it might be very difficult to follow and understand without the benefit of experienced legal assistance to advise and explain the content.

St Leonard's Church

The Friends have been invited to an EGM  of the Parochial Council to discuss the current situation with the adjoining Brockhall Cemetery, which will be an opportunity to exchange information about the history of both cemeteries and the people who are buried there. At the same time, we hope to discuss prospects for future involvement and co-operation in the ongoing management and maintenance of the Brockhall Cemetery.

Measuring up!

The original burial map for the Brockhall Cemetery was produced 87 years ago in September 1939 and now understandably shows its age and the fading hand-written entries that were carefully maintained and added to up until 1988. We have made new and larger copies of that old original record so its content will be safe and secure into the future. The perimeter measurements remain constant, although the overgrowth of bushes and trees does make some boundaries appear shorter and occasionally, longer. However, the internal divisions and pathways of the Cemetery appear to be slightly different to that recorded on the original plan and our current focus is trying to establish an agreed set of current measurements, solely to better understand what might have changed and why, The main are of interest is the western part of the B section towards the Gravediggers Storage building which was not included on the old map

Proposed meeting with Maya Ellis

For some time we have been trying to arrange a face to face meeting with the local MP, Maya Ellis, but to date, those efforts have not been successful, despite the earlier work of David Pender. The purpose of the meeting is to explain the Friends position in relation to the Cemetery and the factual history of our involvement with RVBC, which has been set out in our email to her and includes references to the "Archdeacon's report," which should now be known as the former Archdeacon's report as it clearly refers to the previous Venerable Mark Ireland rather than the current Venerable Jane Atkinson. While our contact with Maya and previously, Nigel Evans,  has been focussed on the Calderstones Cemetery our recent and much more positive involvement with the Brockhall Cemetery raises issues which are common to both sites and the historical links and responsibilities which the Constituency has had with both hospitals for over a century.  Both hospitals had a profound impact on the economic and social development of Whalley Langho and Billington, towns which might rightly have been known as "hospital towns" because of the sustainable economic, employment and housing impacts the Hospitals have had on their development . 

Hopefully we can persuade Maya that the constituents who lived and died in those hospitals  like the others whose employment has sustained generations of local families were all parts of the same community, still respected for who they were, rather than who they were not.

Brockhall Cemetery- families

As part of our consultation regarding the future of Brockhall Cemetery we have had contact with several members of different families who all have some family connection with somebody who is buried or whose remains have been interred in the Cemetery. Most, were former reside Brockhall Hospital, but some are related to Gerald Hitman and Joanne Eddy who were buried there, long after the Hospital closed. The consultation was intended to encourage ideas of how thee Cemetery might be managed in future and in particular, if there might be sufficient financial support to look at some form of family trust being wholly or partially responsible responsible for the management. The responses so far, have been helpful with interesting ideas and offers of limited financial support but at the same time we have become increasingly aware of the need to recruit an adequate number of local and committed volunteers to provide a sustainable level of support and will focus on that area in the coming weeks. The families who have responded, are as you might expect all in different financial circumstances and it would be inappropriate to reveal the identity of any proposed donor, but for the record, we have had unexpected and generous offers from some people - they know who they are. - Thank you.

Meeting at St Leonard's

Representatives of the Parochial Council of St Leonard's invited members of the Friends to meet with them in the "new" Church on the evening of 10th June to discuss the history and current situation in respect of the Brockhall Cemetery.  It was a friendly and productive meeting in which we were able to explain our view of the current situation, following the recent death of Mrs Helen Hitman in New Zealand and try to answer some of the many questions which were raised by people who have a long association with the adjoining "old" St Leonard's Church and Cemetery. The meeting concluded with the positive an agreement that we would continue our conversations about the future of the Cemetery. 

Use of Brockhall Church

Recent enquiries at the Lancashire Archives have revealed details of the discussions that were taking place in 1938/9 concerning the use of the Hospital Cemetery and the religious services which might take place prior to burials. The Hospital Secretary reports to the Management Committee, that the Church of England's Lord Bishop of Blackburn had informed him that he had offered the use of the Hospital Church for the burial services of other religions but both the Catholic and Non-Conformist representatives had politely declined the offer and would make alternative arrangements elsewhere. Looking through those records we are reminded of the importance and significance of religious practices in the daily lives of the people who lived and worked ibn both Brockhall and Calderstones 

                    Faculty Application  

The Application is proceeding through the Consistory Court and as part of that legal process the Friends received a substantial amount of documents in support of the case being made on behalf of Remembrance Parks Construction Ltd. Members need to study the details of the documents which will inevitably be time-consuming and in parts confusing, for those trying to understand the content before we then take legal advice and subsequently produce a response in the form of an objection to provide to the Court.

Looking back to Brockhall

The 30-minute film entitled Looking back to Brockhall which many members will have seen will be shown at the Avenue Hotel in Brockhall Village on September 9th. The film provides a unique 1990 glimpse of life inside a long-stay institution, and follows a group of people who after 20, 30 and 40 years living at Brockhall are shortly to  to leave the Hospital and live in supported housing in the North-West of England,. In showing the film the Friends hope to encourage further local interest in the history of the Hospital and especially its connection with the local Brockhall Hospital Cemetery as we consider the options for securing a long-term, viable and  and sustainable future. Members are asked to bring this notice to the attention of a wider group of people. all would be welcome but it is those living in the Brockhall Village that who we are particularly interested in joining us on the evening. 

Contact with MP Maya Ellis 

Members will be aware of our efforts to arrange a meeting with Maya Ellis to explain the Friends position primarily in relation to the Calderstones Cemetery where there are current issues and misunderstandings, but also in respect of the Brockhall Cemetery where fortunately, the position is completely different.You will be aware of the active interest and long-term support of the previous MP Nigel Evans and we have been striving to achieve a similar relationship with Maya, but our efforts so far, have been unsuccessful. We first mentioned mentioned these efforts in May and hope that we will have a positive acknowledgement of our personal letter to Maya and the offer of a meeting before too long.

Faculty Application 

The Friends formal statement and supporting evidence in support of our objection to the application for permission to construct car parking and roadways on consecrated ground within the Cemetery was sent to the Court on the 28th August , meeting the deadline which had been set by the Court on receipt of the Remembrance Parks Construction Ltd statement which had been received on 17th July 2026.. We now await further contact and direction from the Court..

Douglas Aspden RIP

Members will be saddened to learn of the recent death of Douglas Aspden, a long-term member of the Friends who lived near the Cemetery and was for many years, secretary to the group recording meetings and then producing neatly  hand-written minutes for distribution at the next meeting, He was perhaps the most regular visitor to the Cemetery paying his respects to the deceased and keeping an eye on any developments within the grounds. During his visits in 2018, Douglas discovered remnants of what are believed to be broken urns,near the Roman Catholic Chapel which he photographed and that photo has ben used in evidence objecting to the development of the proposed crematorium ever since.f. Douglas was also one of the six members of the Friends who met with the then Archdeacon, Mark Ireland in August 2018, -a never to be forgotten experience for those members who attended. Knowledgeable and always positive, respectful  and polite, Douglas was an excellent representative for the Friends, he will be missed, but his contributions over many years will be remembered and continue to be appreciated. 

The Friends' offer our sincere condolences to Douglas's wife Mary and family  

An overwhelming evening 

The  meeting arranged at the Avenue Hotel ion the 9th September for a showing of the "Looking back to Brockhall" film and subsequent discussion of the Brockhall Cemetery's future, proved to be an overwhelming and successful event. Having expected an audience of between 25 and 30, we cannot be sure exactly how many people attended but believe that it was over 100. Many were former Brockhall staff or people with close connections to Brockhall past and present. Members of St Leonard's Church and voluntary groups in Whalley wee also present and there may have been others who have not been mentioned. - apologies if you were missed out.

The unique film shows how Brockhall and its people looked 36 years ago, so much has changed in that time, yet memories and a few constants like the Cemetery and former staff houses remain. Hopefully the film will serve to encourage interest in the Cemetery, its current occupants and its future.

In the limited space available it was possible to show a few of the Friends Brockhall documents which have survived . Of particular interest was the old linoleum based burial map first used in 1939, on which every official hospital  burial is recorded with a hand-written name and date on each identified grave that has been used. A map attached to the previously unseen Brockhall Hospital Contraction Plan from November 1987 was also of interest to several people and requests were made for copies of these two important documents to be copied and reproduced on the website which the technically very competent John, has agreed to arrange. Hopefully, copies may be on the site before the end of the month.

The primary purpose of the meeting was to encourage interest in the Cemetery and it is pleasing that several people came forward and left their contact details for us to arrange an early meeting to discus the future of the Cemetery in much more detail. If you didn't leave your details on the night but would still like to be involved, then please let us know

Special thanks to Dave and his team at the Avenue for their generous welcome and good-humoured resourcefulness in coping with the unexpected numbers of people who joined us on the night.

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