Friends of St. Matthew's Churchyard, Lightcliffe

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Friends of St. Matthew's Churchyard, Lightcliffe

The aim of the Friends is to renovate and care for the old St. Matthew's Churchyard on Wakefield Roa St. It is owned by St. All are welcome.

Matthew's Churchyard is located on Wakefield Road, Lightcliffe, near Halifax on the junction with Till Carr Lane (nearest postcode is HX3 8TH). Matthew's Church, which is itself located about 200m up Wakefield Road. The churchyard, which is still open for burials in the rear portion, is a haven for many birds, plants and wildlife. There are a number of interesting people buried there. The tower, a

ll that remains of the Old Church of St Matthew, built in 1774, was saved by The Friends of Friendless Churches in 1974 when the rest of the church was demolished. There are working parties on the 3rd Sunday of every month and other events throughout the year.

19/06/2026

Perth Villas home for 60 years to a Barsdorf-Barton family whose story starts in Germany, then moves to Bradford before settling in Lightcliffe. It also includes a pauper's grave in New Zealand and an unusual living arrangement for a married couple. Read more athttps://www.lightcliffechurchyard.org.uk/attachments/article/200/The%20Barsdorf%20-%20Barton%20story.pdf

08/06/2026

The rebuilding of the stone dome has now been completed - from a distance you can just about make out its shape - and the pedestal for the ball , as you can see, is now in place. Hopefully the ball which is currently lying as two hemispheres on the scaffolding at the top of the tower will get put back this week. The contractors are hoping that this will be accomplished more easily than its dismantling! See the Friends of Friendless Churches video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AElj1rZBoGk

03/06/2026

Just been sent this portrait of Leonard Sucksmith whose CWGC headstone is in the churchyard. Two other brothers lost their lives in WW1, another was a leading batsman at Lightcliffe cricket club. More details about the family can be found athttps://www.lightcliffechurchyard.org.uk/attachments/article/110/Sucksmith%20Brothers%20and%20Sisters.docx.pdf

29/05/2026

The rhododendron bush by George Mackay Sutherland's chest tomb and the peonies in a Pinder plot are the only examples of these 'one grave plot' plants. You can read his family story athttps://www.lightcliffechurchyard.org.uk/attachments/article/137/George%20Mackay%20Sutherland%20and%20family.pdf
The Pinder family have not as yet been researched.

25/05/2026

These cuckoo flowers aka lady's smock or milkmaids are a bit harder to find in the closed section of the churchyard. There are some growing by the Wakefield Road wall and some more where the flat doorstep stones to the old church are still in position although the doors as well as the church are long since gone..

24/05/2026

The red campion is easy to spot in and around a number of grave plots.

23/05/2026

The grass is growing like mad and so the mowers have been working hard but not where the wildflowers grow! What will you spot as you walk through?

21/05/2026

Two of the documents that were used to update the article about Ann Walker's business interests and investments. Anne Lister's diary entries helped too. The article can be found athttps://www.lightcliffechurchyard.org.uk/attachments/article/137/Ann%20Walker%E2%80%99s%20acquisitions%20and%20investments%201825%20to%201847%20update2026.pdf

Address

Wakefield Road And Till Carr Lane, Lightcliffe
Halifax
HX38TH

Website

http://www.lightcliffechurchyard.org.uk/

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