Cash boost for Eye in Suffolk for heritage hub at cemetery

Persimmon Homes - which is building new homes at Castleton Grange in Eye - has donated £5k to a huge project led by Eye Town Council.

The heritage hub will tell the story of the town. The council wants to make graves at the town cemetery - which include war graves and resting places of prominent local families - more visible as well as restoring two of its chapels.

It wants to map the graves and share the stories of those buried there with residents and visitors.

The first stage of the project involves clearing overgrown trees and undergrowth to reveal the graves in the old part of the cemetery.

And money is being raised to preserve the two Victorian chapels - one for religious services and the other for non-conformists - at the Yaxley Road site. It is rare for both chapels to survive.

Persimmon managing director Ian Hamilton said he was keen to support the wider community and protect the town’s heritage as he visited the cemetery and handed over the donation from the company’s Community Champions scheme.

Mid Suffolk District Council leader Andrew Mellen also joined the event. “It is really good to see house builders contributing to the community and I am really pleased to see this funding coming forward for such an important and valuable local project,” he said.

Mr Hamilton said: "The cemetery is a window to our past and it will be a huge asset to the community once the town council’s vision is realised.

"We are delighted to have been able to support them at the start of this journey and will be following their progress over coming months and years.”

Eye Town Council mayor Clive Hill thanked Mr Hamilton for the donation. "This is the start of the council’s campaign to raise the funds for the Eye Cemetery heritage project that will encompass the whole community of Eye in Suffolk," he said. 

“The Victorian Chapels will become a focal link between families within our community and their loved ones who are at rest in the town’s cemetery, with images and stories of the former inhabitants of Eye helping to tell the story of our town.

"This project will bring our history to life, painting a vivid picture of the past, the lives of those who lived here and their trades. This project is about keeping the history of our town alive for future generations and visitors to the cemetery.”