.. Cwmbran Cemetery ..
Cwmbran cemetery is situated between Llantarnam Road and Oakfield Road.
It opened in 1892; the first recorded burial took place on the 5th October of that year.
The area covers approximately four acres.
Cwmbran Cemetery is now regarded as a `closed` cemetery.
Definition, being
that no new interments are carried out, only re-opened graves for a second or
third interment in existing graves.
The exception being that there is a small area dedicated for the interment of children.
The Chapel
was not used for
general services to the public. It was only used for services before
the actual burial took place.
As there was no mortuary in the local hospital, post mortems were carried out in the Chapel, possibly, up to the 1950’s.
Sadly, the Chapel is deteriorating, albeit at the `hands` of vandals with numerous small coloured panes of glass broken, and it's surrounding lead damaged.
David Plant relates: My Grandfather lived in the house on the church grounds. He used to be the gardener and looked after the park outside the grounds as well. When I was eight I used to catch the bus to the cemetery gates and have lunch with my Grandparents and Uncle most Sundays. I even remember seeing the slab and all the body cutting tools on the wall. I don't know if he dug the graves but maybe he just kept quiet about it.I remember running along the wall just above a snake slithering at the bottom of it!
