Park Cemetery is the town’s municipal cemetery, and is owned and run by Erewash Borough Council.

Many well known inhabitants of Ilkeston since the 1890s are buried here including mayors, local industrialists, Justices of the Peace, police and councillors. Most of these graves are marked by large stone memorials, some with statues or elaborate carving.

There are also many unmarked graves of those who could not afford a grand memorial.

Park Cemetery contains a woodland burial area as well as cremated interment plots and is still used for most local burials today.

Park Cemetery, circa 1910 and 2012
(Image kindly donated to the Friends of Park Cemetery by David and Christine Hudson)

As well as the official war memorial, the cemetery contains over seventy commonwealth war graves, many with the iconic portland stone markers showing regimental or service crest. Some of these are from recent conflicts.

In addition there are the graves of hundreds of other local people from the last 120 years and some very moving tributes written on headstones and kerbs.