Mendip Hospital Cemetery is the last resting place of 3,000 patients from the Somerset and Bath County Pauper Lunatic Asylum, later the Wells Mental Hospital and latterly the Mendip Hospital.
It is a site full of history and was saved from development for housing by concerned local residents, local politicians and members of the public in 2000.
Since then the site has been cared for entirely by dedicated volunteers and turned into a peaceful wild garden amongst the grave markers and the history researched and recorded.
It is a very unique place and the patients, and some staff buried there, shown due deference and through ongoing research their stories are being told and some are displayed in an exhibition in the chapel on the site.
Only open on Sundays during the summer with a mid-week opening once a month the volunteers are now planning to open, by booking, guided visits to local history, village or other interested groups to share this special place and learn about its history and learn about the lives and deaths of those buried there.
Many of those buried there are from the city of Bath and its surrounding villages
It is also a very beautiful and inspiring place with wild flowers, sculptures, a pond, woodland paths and would be an ideal place for an art or a creative writing group to spend some , be inspired and absorb the atmosphere.
There would be no charge but a donation to help support the volunteers continuing work would be most welcome.
If you are interested, please contact Clare Blackmore on blackmore.clare@btinternet.com or the Chairman Pete Jaggard on chairman@mendiphospitalcemetery.org.uk
For further details on the cemetery visit Facebook page Mendip Hospital Cemetery or website Friends of Mendip Hospital Cemetery.
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