December 15, 2021 The Friends of Darwen Cemetery are pleased to report that two Darwen WW1 casualties have finally been recognised by the CWGC when the headstones for…
December 13, 2021 A donation of £45.00 has been given to FODC from Whitehall Cubs and Beavers after the Cubs and Beavers raised the money starring in a…
November 14, 2021 Sunday 14th November 2021 Service On the Sunday Service many of the local residents and Scout Groups attended, it was a beautiful morning unlike the…
November 12, 2021 Friday 12th November 2021 Service Well Done to all who attended the FODC children’s poppy service in DARWEN Western Cemetery. Thank you to Terry Young for…
June 3, 2021 The Friends of Darwen Cemetery over the last few years have worked on various sections in the cemetery to improve the look of the graves…
April 17, 2021 After years of searching by Alan Walton we finally now have a photograph of the chapel that stood on the mound at the top of…
November 6, 2020 The Friends of Darwen Cemetery last Friday marked the now Annual Children’s Yearly Remembrance Service in the Western Cemetery by putting out flags and crosses…
October 5, 2020 It was with great sadness that we learnt last week that one of our original working party volunteers has passed away. Maureen Roberts was a…
August 8, 2020 Anne Lamont one of the FODC Volunteers working in a section of Darwen Western Cemetry – repairing gutters. Fantastic commitment of just one volunteer of…
May 15, 2020 FODC has bought a new lawn mower thanks to a donation. The donation from Darwen’s Lloyd Trust has helped us purchase a new lawn mower…
February 2, 2020 PRIVATE Squire Haworth, who has lain in an unmarked grave the Western Cemetery for over 100 years, has finally been recognised by the Commonwealth War…
December 15, 2019 It is with great sadness we heard today of the passing of Richard Westhead. Richard was a true gentleman and earned the respect of everyone…
November 8, 2019 Friday 8th November 2019 This weekend people from all walks of life will be taking time to remember the fallen of the two world wars…
September 14, 2019 I came across this image of a Chapel yesterday when I was looking at a number of press cutting we have at the Heritage Centre…
August 17, 2019 We are on the look out for adoptees from community groups, schools, and faith and youth organisations. we have more than 100 war graves in…
August 15, 2019 Have you had a walk through the Ashes Garden recently? Have you seen how good it is looking? Many of the donated bushes have now…
July 13, 2019 On Saturday 13th July 2019 we held our very first Find a Grave Event, we had requests to help find 15 Family Graves in the…
May 10, 2019 Burial ground as an excellent source for local history as every gravestone has a story to tell. Some stories are more interesting and fascinating than…
November 9, 2018 Friday 9th November 2018 Service Two days before the centenary of the ending of the first world war.The FODC held their remembrance service for…
October 27, 2018 On saturday 27th October, the Friends of Darwen Cemetery held it’s 3rd 70’s, 80’s and 90’s Disco and we raised £537. Thank you so much…
October 15, 2018 Just in time for the Remembrance Day Services in a few weeks time, we have had two Brown Road Signs erected on Cemetery Road outside…
August 15, 2018 Lovely to see staff and pupils spending time out of their summer break to look after their war graves The above photographs are the grave…
July 20, 2018 After the impressive ceremony that saw Darwen’s newest war memorial unveiled on 1st July the Friends of Darwen Cemetery were delighted to received further good news…
July 3, 2018 One of the local Deer decided to have a good look around the Cemetery early on Tuesday Morning (3rd July) I hope he found it…
July 1, 2018 On Sunday, 1st July, in glorious sunshine, the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, The Lord Shuttleworth, dedicated our new World War One monument. The Cemetery was looking…
June 15, 2018 FODC Chairman John East FODC President Col. Steve Davies Photographs by Paul Dargan & John East FODC June 2018
June 4, 2018 Members of Whithall Cubs help raise £200.00 by holding a sponsored walk in Darwen Cemetery. Held on Monday 4th June 2018, to help FODC raise…
May 13, 2018 The Davies grave has been given some TLC from FODC. Thanks to Colin Briggs and friends. The Davies family produced a Darwen mayor, business man,…
March 10, 2018 Our very own Martha Jane Bury has been out and about on the bus stops advertising boards in both Blackburn and Darwen for International Woman’s…
January 20, 2018 The area in the Cemetery where the WWI memorial will be constructed Linda and Ineke stand infront of where the WWI memorial will be constructed Kath…
November 10, 2017 Our Friday Remembrance Service On Friday 10th November 2017 we held our annual Schools Remembrance Service in the Cemetery. This year we had 143 attend…
October 7, 2017 On Saturday the 7th October 2017 the Friends of Darwen Cemetery together with other Local Friends groups attended the Darwen Heritage Centre’s Open Day. Many…
October 6, 2017 Please can you help! Our Bird Bath that has been in our Nature Garden for over 5 years has gone missing! We are not sure…
July 25, 2017 Year 5 students from Ashleigh Primary School visited the cemetery and tidied up their war graves ready for summer. Well Done Gardening Gang love the…
July 8, 2017 On a recent walk around the cemetery a large monument to the Jepson family was pointed out to me which showed that 4 children of…
June 25, 2017 On the 25th June FODC had its latest walk in the Cemetery, the walk this year was “Terror and Tragedy” and was based on our…
June 1, 2017 Due to funding cuts, BwD Borough council have passed the cutting of the grass in the Western Cemetery to a non-profit friends group called the…
April 24, 2017 On Monday (24th April) at 6am I woke to a beautiful morning, just as the sunrise was coming over the hill at Blacksnape, with ipad…
December 10, 2016 During 2016 we started work on a quiet corner of the Cemetery right on the edge of Cemetery Road behind the South Lodge. Work started…
December 10, 2016 Mick has has laid down his responsibilities as the Saturday Working Party Leader after our last Working Party of 2016, held on the 10th December….
November 26, 2016 On Saturday 26th November FODC held another Disco Night, over 100 attended the evening. Thank you to Brian and Diane for organising the event and…
November 11, 2016 This years Remembrance Services was very well attended with many of the Primary and Secondary Schools in Darwen attending the Friday Service. Photographs taken by…
September 17, 2016 When the Friends of Darwen Cemetery was first formed, the founder members had a vision and plan to restore as much of the Western Cemetery…
September 11, 2016 On Sunday 11th September FODC held it’s 2016 Heritage Open Day We held an exhibition in the Whitehall Community Hut in Whitehall Park showing our…
July 7, 2016 Commemorative Bench dedicated to the Women of Darwen and the Role they played in WW1 On a rainy Thursday, 7th July 2016 in the Western…
July 2, 2016 George Pickup died at 8.30am 90 yards from the starting off trench at Serre on the 1st July 1916 he was just 26 years old….
July 1, 2016 2nd Lieutenant Edward Deakin Ashton FODC tribute to the Battle of the Somme. 2nd Lieutenant Edward Deakin Ashton who died serving with the Lancashire Fusiliers…
April 16, 2016 The heather bed in the new part of the Western Cemetery and separates the boundary between section 1B and section 3 is looking really good…
April 6, 2016 Sadly, on 13th March we lost Joan Briggs a valued member of the Friends of Darwen Cemetery volunteer group. Joan has worked with us, along…
November 6, 2015 Friday Service “Who says we forget the sacrifice of of men and woman who died in conflict areas of the world? Well over 100 children…
September 13, 2015 On Sunday 13th September 2015 FODC had it’s Heritage Open Day, with a exhibition and refreshments at the Whitehall Community Building. John opens the Heritage Open…
August 5, 2015 A big thank you to Crown Paints and the community awards scheme for a cheque for £2,000.00 used towards the renovation of the Lark Street Gates…
July 3, 2015 The gates at the Lark Street entrance of the western cemetery have been lovingly restored by local craftsmen. The total cost of the restoration was…
June 27, 2015 At our last Working Party on the 27th June, Peter mowed the grass in our Ashes Garden based in the Western Cemetery. Well done Peter…
April 22, 2015 Some damage has been caused at the cemetery this week. A grave with a statue of a boy incorporated into the headstone has been damaged,…
April 21, 2015 His name appears on the Redearth War Memorial that the Friends recently restored and the following is taken from the Darwen News 9th November 1918: Gunner…
April 20, 2015 Anyone who walks through the Cemetery will know of our lone Soldier in Section D, this is the lone Commonwealth War Grave in the old …
April 15, 2015 Harold Heys, local resident and Friend of Darwen Cemetery came to the rescue after visitors to the Eastern Cemetery had been left without water for two…
April 4, 2015 Janet Toth who adopted the Commonwealth War Grave of J.D.Knight has given the grave a Spring Clean over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. Sapper Knight…
April 1, 2015 On Wednesday 15th April FODC held it’s official launch of the bid for Lottery cash to commemorate the contribution of Darwen’s soldiers of the First…
January 15, 2015 The Snow, Ice and freezing temperatures did not stop our volunteers from attending our first working party of 2015 held on the 24th January, work…
January 10, 2015 Last year the Scouts from Bold Venture Scout Group visited the Western Cemetery to visit a number of the Graves in the Cemetery. Colin explains…
December 13, 2014 FODC held it’s last Working party of the year and finished off the year working on the continued restoration of D1 part of the Roman Catholic section within Darwen…
November 11, 2014 Darwen Aldridge Community Academy head boy and girl present a wreath after a two minutes silence today (11th November) at the recently installed memorial stone of the…
November 7, 2014 On Friday 7th November the War Grave of Lieutenant G.W.Fish in Section 4B received its Commonwealth War Headstone after 3 years waiting for it to be made. Son…
November 7, 2014 Two momentous days of Remembrance organised by the Friends of Darwen Cemetery. On Friday over 12 schools both Junior and High Schools with various VIP’s…
October 31, 2014 On Friday 31st October 2014 FODC held a short remembrance service for the centenary of the first casualty of World War One to be buried…
October 11, 2014 During October work has been undertaken by the Friends of Darwen Cemetery to make safe the very last of the 98 War Graves in the Cemetery allowing it…
September 20, 2014 At today’s FODC working party (Saturday 20th September) two families visited and were given assitance finding family graves. The Sharples family from Aberdeen, East Kilbride…
September 13, 2014 Over 80 members of the public attended a very successful WW1 Heritage Walk organised by the Friends of Darwen cemetery during the Heritage Weekend held…
August 15, 2014 Paul & Paul from CWGC cleaning and maintenance, cleaned all the War Graves in Darwen Cemetery on the 14th August. They also worked on resetting a grave…
August 9, 2014 Section DI completed The small section D1 in the Western Cemetery has had all of its headstones repaired and re-erected. The work has been completed…
August 4, 2014 To complement the service Tony has produced a booklet on a brief History of the Methodist Church up to it being demolished in 1964 and…
August 3, 2014 On Sunday 3rd August 2014, on the eve of the Centenary of the start of the First World War, FODC unveiled a Commemorative Stone for the 31 men who…
July 19, 2014 On the 19th July 2014 FODC together with Blackburn with Darwen Gymnastics Club held a Barn Dance at Prospect Farm, Bull Hill, Darwen. What a fantastic night was…
June 13, 2014 Friends of Darwen Cemetery had a special VIP Guest on one the Working Party last Saturday, when Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry came along to…
May 24, 2014 This week we had two brand new Notice Boards placed in the Western Cemetery, they replace the two original Notice Boards we installed when FODC…
May 17, 2014 In 2010 the Friends of Darwen Cemetery became aware of a broken war memorial that contain one column of 10 names and another column of…
May 10, 2014 The project is to provide fitting recognition to those buried in Darwen Cemetery as a result of the First World War is an imaginative attempt…
April 5, 2014 Until recently the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC) was showing that Fred Baron who died August 16, 1920 was recorded on the Brookwood Memorial, Surrey….
March 9, 2014 East Lancashire Masonic Charity made a donation of £2650 to the Friends of Darwen Cemetery recently to fund a Muck Truck for the volunteers to…
December 16, 2013 Four members of Ashleigh Primary Schools garden group visited the Cemetery on Wednesday 18th December to put Christmas Wreaths they had made on the Adopted…
December 7, 2013 Two maps made of granite have been placed in Darwen Western Old Cemetery. A £1k grant was obtained from the Lloyd Trust to pay for…
November 16, 2013 Christmas Wreaths are available at the last Friends of Darwen Cemetery Working Party on Saturday 14th December between 10am and 1pm. in Darwen’s Western Cemetery…
November 9, 2013 On November 8th 2013 eighty two children, along with their teachers and escorts from local schools came together to share an Act of Remembrance at…
November 2, 2013 In November the Grave Maintenance team completed the Briggs Grave in Section B, The headstone was straightened as part of the work done by Brent…
July 6, 2013 On the 6th July we held our second 70’s & 80’s night, we had a very good night and everybody had a good time. We…
July 1, 2013 The fantastic model that Mick Walsh made to show how the Dry Stone Seat would look like when finished in the Nature Garden is going…
June 22, 2013 On Saturday 22nd June we held our latest walk through the Cemetery. The walk was led by Tony Foster and concentrated on the Women of…
June 1, 2013 The FODC are proud that Rosemary has won the award as we see the outstanding achievement she has made as our administrator. We will be…
May 25, 2013 Dedication so what!!! Now the cemetery is looking smarter our volunteers feel they have to smarten up there appearance when working in the cemetery. FODC…
May 18, 2013 Young people from the Darwen Groundwork Environment group joined us at Saturday’s Working Party on 18th May. Despite the wet weather they worked very hard…
April 12, 2013 The Friends of Darwen Cemetery were one of several local voluntary groups who received cheques at the final winding up of Darwen Civic Society after…
February 2, 2013 George Robert Craig MC, was born in Co. Durham and was the son of a Darwen doctor. I am sure the family home was up…
January 19, 2013 Our very first working party of 2013 on the 26th January was cancelled due to eight inches of snow that fell overnight. All the best…
January 17, 2013 The memorial grave statue to Martha Jane Bury looks forlorn as winter sets in making the cemetery a cold but spectacular place to view the…
January 15, 2013 During January work is taking place to complete the re-erection of the headstones in Section B, which we started back in 2011 around the area…
December 8, 2012 Nicola Jackson who is a nurse in Sidney, Australia, laid a wreath to Australian solider Alfred Ward during the Christmas Holidays at Darwen Western Cemetery….
November 12, 2012 Jill and Rosemary received a Cheque for £2,000 from the Crown Paint Awards / Darwen Council from the Mayor of Darwen Cllr Eileen Entwistle. We…
November 9, 2012 Friends of Darwen Cemetery have once again held their Services of Remembrance. On Friday 9th November the Friends of Darwen Cemetery held, what is fast becoming, their…
October 5, 2012 During September the Commonwealth War Grave Commission erected two New War Graves in the Western Cemetery The two graves are Private V. Cocker (photograph below)…
August 11, 2012 FODC one again attended this years Darwen Gala, this year with two stalls, we had a fund raisingstall out in the main field and an…
August 10, 2012 Over the last few month shoppers at Asda Darwen having been voting for various local charities using a token system. You shop then you drop your…
June 29, 2012 One of the aims of the Friends of Darwen Cemetery is to raise funds to get the toppled headstones in the cemetery re-erected. In this…
June 20, 2012 Congratulations from all at the FODC to Diane Davieis who was awarded a “Pat on the Back Award” from Leader of BwD Council Leader Kate…
June 1, 2012 An enormous Beech tree, at least 50ft tall, uprooted from the north side of the park over the Jubilee weekend and crashed on to the…
May 3, 2012 Blackbird, Black cap, Blue tit, Coal tit, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Crow, Dunnock. Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Great tit, Greenfinch, Grey Wagtail, House Martin, Jackdaw, Jay, Kestrel, Lesser black-backed and black headed gulls (overhead), Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Robin, Skylark, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk (overhead), Swallow, Swift (overhead), Treecreeper, Willow…
April 28, 2012 Over 60 people attended the official opening of the FODC Award for All Nature Garden on Saturday 28th April 2012. The BwD Mayor Coun. Karimah…
April 20, 2012 It started with a book I was reading. In it was a photograph of an elderly man playing the piano and the caption said, “Grandfather Rudolf…
April 4, 2012 “DACA volunteering students arrived on time at the end of the last two days of the school term to support the FODC in clearing the…
March 31, 2012 27 groups were awarded a “Your Call” certificate presented by BwD Councillor Leader Kate Hollern at King George’s Hall at the end of March. Mick…
March 29, 2012 Darwen Cemetery Lodges around 1890 Friends member Alan came across this picture of the cemetery gate houses taken 1890/1893… Notice no rhoddis.. graves can be…
March 27, 2012 In late February Members of FODC, Patrick & Paul with help from Liam put up over 40 Bird and Bat Boxes in the Western Cemetery,…
March 24, 2012 Did you attend Redearth Rd Methodist Chapel and remember this War Memorial? The WWI war memorial has been found in the Western Cemetery but only Part of it has…
March 23, 2012 During February many of the large pot holes, mainly in the New Part of the Western Cemetery, have been filled by Blackburn with Darwen Council…
March 20, 2012 The Australians commemorate their war dead on two days throughout the year. Like us they have a Remembrance Day on November 11 and last year I…
March 10, 2012 The once-elegant marble memorial stone to the Rev. Philip Graham, first vicar of St John’s, is now back to its white, shining best after a…
March 10, 2012 How things have change in just under 50 years! Photos donated by Alan Walton March 2012
February 29, 2012 Since we opened the Ashes Memorial garden, only 6 months ago, we have already filled a full block of 5 Plinth Wedges, last week Brent…
February 4, 2012 Gail, Val and Lynn from Highfield Guides have recently been tidying up the war grave of H Entwistle which is in Section 1A just at…
January 16, 2012 Kath sizes up the Boulder that we plan to use in the Nature Garden. FODC January 2012
January 14, 2012 Our First Working Party of 2012. The Bacon Butties went down very well! FODC January 2012
November 26, 2011 On Saturday 26th November we held our last working party of 2011, we had a Cemetery full of Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, a Youth Group and…
November 19, 2011 On Saturday 19th November we held a 70s 80s Disco at the Craiglands Function Rooms, the night was a great success, we sold all the…
November 19, 2011 Martha Jane Bury has had an autumn clean-up thanks to Harold Heys and his neighbour Bill Parkinson. “Everyone called her The White Lady,” said Bill….
November 15, 2011 The graves vandalised recently in the Eastern Cemetery have been re-erected by Brent Stevenson this week. Brent has kindly completed the work for free. Before…
November 11, 2011 The first Remembrance Service on Friday 11th November 2011 Schools Commemorate the Sacrifice at Darwen Cemetery Over 80 local children and students attended the Friends of Darwen Cemetery Remembrance Service on Friday…
November 5, 2011 Darwen’s two cemeteries have been thankfully free of vandalism, apart from the Council – inspired flattening and wrecking of dozens of headstone a few years…
November 1, 2011 Coun. Foster invited the FODC to the Mayors Palour to thank them for the work they have completed. Each volunteer was presented with a Mayor’s…
October 30, 2011 WE really couldn’t believe how many folk turned up for our latest walk on the eve of Hallowe’en. Guides Tony Foster and Harold Heys had…
October 5, 2011 Now then, who on earth is this character helping out at one of the last working parties of the year? He looked rather familiar, but…
October 1, 2011 Darwen marked World Mental Health Day in style by unveiling a headstone on the unmarked grave of its greatest benefactor, Eccles Shorrock. Eccles Shorrock began…
September 26, 2011 Earlier this month we completed the Dry Stone Wall Seat in the Nature Garden. Congratulations to Mick Walsh and the team who have managed to…
September 17, 2011 “Richard Westhead who is 90 years old and laid the wreath at last years FODC Remembrance Day commemoration has appeared on Granada Reports Local Heroes. For…
August 27, 2011 Our first bat walk took place on Friday 9th September on a clear night after days of rain. The walk was led by Dave Anderson from…
August 22, 2011 The work of the Friends and the co-operation of Brent Stevenson in re-erecting the statue of Martha Jane Bury (See our Archive section) has stirred…
August 20, 2011 On Saturday 20th August 2011 the Friends of Darwen Cemetery attended Darwen Gala, this follows on from our first visit last year. We attracted a…
August 20, 2011 The FODC has been given a good plug by the BBC. You’ll find the links to the full story at the bottom of this piece….
August 1, 2011 We are pleased to announce that we are now a Registered Charity No 1142815. To comply with charity law we have changed the wording of…
June 20, 2011 The Friends’ exhibition covering the 150 years of the old cemetery went on display at Darwen Library on June 18. Both walls of the exhibition…
June 18, 2011 We had 2 sessions of building bird boxes on Saturday (4th June) in the Hut in Whitehall Park, we made 14 Bird Boxes so far…
June 11, 2011 The sun came out and the cemetery was looking as good as it has done for 30 years or more as the Friends of Darwen…
June 11, 2011 Hannah Jackson and family are photographed next to the recently erected Rose Plinth in the Ashes Garden, Hannah (3rd from the Left) designed the Rose…
June 11, 2011 With money from the Lottery grant we started making the Stone Chair in the Nature Garden. FODC June 2011 Photographs by Jayne Waring
June 1, 2011 Back in March we were given a donation of £285 from Darwen Motorcycle Club. Every year the club gives a donation to a good cause…
April 25, 2011 A tree donated by Tony Kirkham formerly of Darwen and now Head of the Arboretum at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. The Tree is an…
April 17, 2011 The Tulips on the Ashton Memorial, planted by former Committee Member Susan Smith, have now opened and are looking just great! The Council have also…
April 1, 2011 During May the new Ashes Garden, just above Section C, has started to take shape, Brent Stevenson Memorials have already laid the foundations for the…
March 5, 2011 THE Probation Service’s Payback team has been back at Darwen Cemetery working hard to improve the area. Under the supervision of David Luke, small groups…
February 19, 2011 JAKE BERRY has promised to help out the Friends of Darwen Cemetery – not with a massive government grant but a bit of digging on…
February 15, 2011 A familiar face will be missing from the two Darwen Cemeteries with the early retirement of Fred James. But it won’t be for long! Fred,…
February 1, 2011 In December 2010 we were successful in our bid to the Big Lottery Awards for All for £10,000. The bid was for several things including…
January 29, 2011 Our first working party of 2011 was held on Saturday 29th January in freezing temperatures and once again it was the Rhodis that kept us…
January 15, 2011 Rosemary conducted a RSPB 1 hour bird count on Saturday Rosemary conducting the Bird Count The Birds counted in the 1 hour were 3 blackbirds,…
November 12, 2010 Since the FODC launched the Adopt a War Grave scheme coordinated by Friend, Diane Davies, over 80 of the 90 plus Commonwealth and family war…
November 1, 2010 The Friends of Darwen Cemetery are planning to finally mark the grave of Eccles Shorrock of Low Hill, the man who gave the town India…
October 20, 2010 During October Section C has started to look very nice, after all the Headstones were re-erected and repaired, the soil was leveled any holes filled…
October 9, 2010 Oh those Rhododendron Bushes During September and October 2010 we have cut down many of the Rhododendron Bushes in Section C and have Pruned back…
September 1, 2010 ALICE VARLEY had been at rest in a quiet corner of Darwen’s old cemetery for over a hundred years. Her tidy grave was surmounted by…
August 14, 2010 Friends of Darwen Cemetery had a good day at Darwen Gala. Lots of people visited our stand and showed interest in all the work we…
August 14, 2010 Residents of Whitehall, Paul and Elaine Taylor and daughter Bethany were walking recently and spotted this young deer in the Cemetery. On the following day they spotted a…
August 1, 2010 Once again, Martha Jane Bury can look over Darwen Cemetery from her lofty position close to the site of the old Nonconformist Chapel – thanks to…
July 22, 2010 The circular garden which will be made into a secluded area where ashes can be scattered and where relatives can spend quiet moments of contemplation…
July 20, 2010 During July 2010, after many years of being laid down outside the top gates , the pillar and cap has been re-erected, thanks to Brent…
July 15, 2010 Work got under way mid-July to cut back the rampant rhododendrons which have take over large areas of the older part of the cemetery and…
July 1, 2010 Following a successful presentation to the Cash for Communities Committee by Pat O’Reilly and Diane Davies, Friends of Darwen Cemetery receive a cheque of £1000…
June 20, 2010 Work has started on re-erecting the graves in section C, Brent Stevenson Memorials are in the process of completing our first section, In this first…
June 18, 2010 One of the first to die during the Great War was Second Lieutenant Edward Deakin Ashton, educated at Sedbergh School and Baliol College, Oxford, only…
June 15, 2010 Rosemary and Len Jackson were asked by their daughter Nicola, who now lives in Australia, to place a tribute on the war grave of Arthur…
June 1, 2010 Work has been completed on the Ashton Memorial outside wall and it has now been made safe. The Garden inside the Memorial has been weeded, fresh top…
February 1, 2010 Back in February 2010 we had our very first meeting and selected the Chairman, Secretary and Treasure. John East became Chairman, Rosemary Jackson became Secretary…
Two more Commonwealth Graves are placed in the Cemetery
Whitehall Cubs and Beavers Donation
Remembrance Day Service Sunday 14th November 2021
Remembrance Day Service Friday 12th November 2021
Sections in the Cemetery we are currently working on
We have some exciting news
Remembrance Service 2020 & Family united with War Grave
Sad News of the Death of Maureen
One in a Million
Our new lawn mower donation will help restoration
Our 100th Commonwealth War Grave
Sad News
Remembrance Service’s 2019
A new Photograph of our Roman Catholic Chapel
We are on the look out for adoptees
Have you seen our Memorial Garden recently.
Our Find a Grave Event
From Darwen to see the world recorded on gravestones
Remembrance Service’s 2018
FODC 70’s 80’s and 90’s Disco
Our New Road Signs for our WW1 Memorial
Ashleigh Primary School
Darwen’s Newest Listed Structure
A Deer has a good look around the Cemetery
World War One Memorial Unveiling Ceremony
Some Sneek Photos of the WW1 Wall
Sponsored Walk Raised £200
Davies Grave
Our Martha is waiting for the Cemetery Bus.
Our World War One Memorial
Remembrance Day services 2017
FODC attends the Darwen Heritage Center Open Day at Holker House
Our Nature Garden’s Bird Bath Goes Missing!
Ashleigh Primary School visit the Cemetery to tidy up their Adopted War Graves
Scarlet Fever
Our Latest Walk
2017 Grass Cutting Plan
Early Morning Sunrise
Our Walled Garden
Mick passes the baton on to Jill
FODC Disco a Great Night for All
Remembrance Services 2016
Our Ashes Garden
Heritage Open Day September 2016
1916 – 2016 Somme Tribute
1916 – 2016 Somme Tribute
1916 – 2016 Somme Tribute
Our Beautiful Heather
Sad News
2015 Remembarace Services
FODC Heritage Open Day
Lark Street Gates Cheque Presentation
Lark Street Gates
The Grass in our Ashes Garden is like the pitch at Lords Cricket Ground.
Damaged Grave
Samuel Taylor
Our Lone Soldier
Harold comes to the Rescue with help from the Fire Brigade
Adopted Grave of J.D.Knight
Our Official Launch
Our First Working Party 2015
Bold Venture Scouts visit Darwen Cemetery
Our Last Working Party of 2014
DACA hold a Remembrance Service
Our Latest CWGC Headstone
Remembrance Day Services 2014
Centenary of Darwen Cemeteries first WW1 burial. Private Richard Aspden Knowles
Our last War Grave in the Cemetery has been made safe for Adoption.
Families from afar visit the Cemetery
Heritage Open Day and Cemetery Walk attracts over 80 visitors to the event
CWGC Clean the Cemetery War Graves
Section D1 Completed / Alice Varley Grave in Section D1
Booklet for Sale
Redearth Road Methodist Church Commemorative Stone Unveiling
Barn Dance was a huge success
Anne is awarded with a ‘pat on the back’
Darwen Cemetery installs it’s New Notice Boards
The Redearth Road Primitive Methodist Church War Memorial
F.O.D.C. unveil our tribute to WW1 soldiers
The “newest” CWGC gave in the cemetery Fred Baron
Our Volunteers get a Muck Truck
Ashleigh’s Gardening Group Visit the Cemetery
Darwen Cemetery is on the Map
Christmas Wreaths
Remembrance Day 2013
Grave Maintenance
70s 80s Night raises £412.00
The Model of the Nature Garden Dry Wall Seat goes up for Auction
Our Latest Walk
Rosemary’s Award
Mick looking as smart as the Cemetery!
Groundwork visit our Working Party
FODC Collects a Cheque from the last meeting of Darwen Civic Society
Lieutenant George Robert Craig M.C.44 Squadron
Our first Working Party Cancelled
Martha out in the cold
Section B to be Completed
War Grave wreath presentation in Darwen Cemetery
FODC Collect a cheque for £2,000.00 from the Crown Awards.
Remebrance Day 2012
Darwen Cemetery Welcomes Two New War Graves
FODC raise £248 at Darwen Gala.
FODC win the Darwen Asda Community Life
Family Graves In Darwen Western Cemetery
Pat on the Back for Diane
Cemetery gates wrecked
Birds in Darwen Old Cemetery, Bridleway and Whitehall Park May 2012
Opening of the Nature Garden
Darwen’s Link to Anne Frank
Stand out in Darwen hits the Cemetery
FODC Awarded a “Your Call” Certificate
Do you have any Old Photographs of Darwen Cemetery?
Bird & Bat Boxes
Redearth Road Methodist Chapel
Holes Finally Filled
Our Australian soldier and Anzac Day 25th April
Back to its best / Rev Philip Graham
Look how the Cemetery looked back in 1963
Our Second set of 5 Plinth Wedges have been placed in our Ashes Memorial Garden.
Highfield Guides
Our very own Little Mermaid
First Working Party for 2012
Last Working Party 2011
70s 80s Disco
Return of the White Lady
Vandalised Graves Re-erected
Remembrance Day Sevices 2011
Graves Flattened in Darwen Eastern Cemetery
FODC are invited to the Mayors Parlour.
A great walk – and a crowd of 140
Who is our Mystery Grafter?
The Eccles Shorrock legacy to Darwen is marked at last
Our Dry Stone Wall Seat is completed.
Richard Westhead
Bat Walk
American interest in Our Martha
Darwen Gala 2011
Lancashire cemeteries’ tales of heroes and villains
FODC become a Registered Charity
Exhibition up and running
Making Bird Boxes with the Wildlife Trust
Celebrating the first burial
Hannah views the finished Rose
Our wall gets bigger (little by little)
Donation from Darwen Motorcycle Club
Wedding Tree planted for William and Catherine by the Friends of Darwen Cemetery.
The Tulips are looking just great!
The Ashes Garden starts to take shape
Great job by Payback
Pat on the back from MP
Right, said Fred; that’s it!
The Big Lottery – Awards for All
Our First Working Party of 2011
Bird Count 2011
Darwen Cemetery Remembrance – A worthy tribute
Eccles Shorrock
Section C “looking good!”
Oh those Rhododendron Bushes
Alice, we hang our heads in shame
FODC Hits Darwen Gala!
Oh Deer!
Martha Jane Bury stands tall once again!
The Circular Garden looks Great!
Top Gates Pillar Stands after Many Years!
The Rhododendrons are finally being cut back!
Diane and Rose collect a cheque for £1,000
The Graves in Section C are being repaired and re-erected.
2Lt Edward Deakin Ashton
Our Australian Soldier : Alfred Edmund Ward
Ashton Memorial
Friends of Darwen Cemetery first meeting
2010 – 2020
