Cottenham Dissenters' Cemetery

Cottenham Dissenters' Cemetery Established in 1845 by the Nonconformist Churches. Registered Charity no. 1160345.

Today, managed by a dedicated group of volunteer trustees as a charitable organisation for the benefit of all in Cottenham.

27/08/2026

Do you have nonconformist family? Find out more about researching ancestors who defied the Church of England with our guide:

Eclipse watching in the Cemetery lastnight 🌘
13/08/2026

Eclipse watching in the Cemetery lastnight 🌘

07/07/2026

This evening we were delighted to welcome the 2nd Cottenham Brownies for a walk and talk tour of the cemetery.

The Brownies asked some thoughtful and very relevant questions, leading to some engaging discussions and great ideas. It was a pleasure to see both the children and adults so interested and we all thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

A big Thankyou to the 2nd Cottenham Brownies for coming to visit us and hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

⚠️ ADVANCE NOTICE - We are scheduled to have essential tree work carried out tomorrow (Monday 6th July). To ensure publi...
05/07/2026

⚠️ ADVANCE NOTICE - We are scheduled to have essential tree work carried out tomorrow (Monday 6th July). To ensure public safety, the cemetery will need be CLOSED while this work is being undertaken.

We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Thank you.

The cemetery wasn't always as publicly accessible as it is today, with the gates being permanently locked and only opene...
25/06/2026

The cemetery wasn't always as publicly accessible as it is today, with the gates being permanently locked and only opened for funerals or by arrangement with the sexton.

This clipping from the Cambridge Independent Press, June 1901, reported “it was resolved that the cemetery should be open to adults every Sunday afternoon from five to six o’clock during the summer months.”

This kind of arrangement was quite typical for smaller Victorian cemeteries. They were treated as sacred, private grounds rather than open civic spaces, and access was carefully regulated.

Please spare a minute to nominate us in the special draw and help us win a £5,000 grant towards our community and volu...
23/06/2026

Please spare a minute to nominate us in the special draw and help us win a £5,000 grant towards our community and volunteer initiatives in helping to maintain the cemetery.

Nominations are now open (22nd June - 5th July 2026) and you can vote for us here - https://tinyurl.com/3tzw4eda

Thank you for your support.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand at the Fen Edge Festival over the weekend. It was lovely to meet so many ...
21/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand at the Fen Edge Festival over the weekend. It was lovely to meet so many of you and chat about the cemetery. Our historic bier even made a special appearance on the Sunday!

Thanks to all the trustees efforts in making the weekend go so well.

We'll be stepping outside the cemetery gates for a change of scene this coming weekend as we head to the Fen Edge Festiv...
18/06/2026

We'll be stepping outside the cemetery gates for a change of scene this coming weekend as we head to the Fen Edge Festival, where we'll have a stand about the cemetery's heritage. We’ll also be offering a ‘Find a Grave’ lookup service for anyone searching for a lost relative or ancestor buried in the cemetery (wish us luck with that!).

Do pop in and say hello if you're around - you can find us in the marquee outside the front of the Village College, alongside stands from Cottenham Village Society, Fen Edge Archaeology Group and Fen Edge Twinning Association.

For more information about the Festival, visit: fenedge.co.uk/category/fen-edge-festival/

Trustees marked the 181st anniversary of the cemetery today by leaving a posy of flowers on Ann Norman’s grave.
12/06/2026

Trustees marked the 181st anniversary of the cemetery today by leaving a posy of flowers on Ann Norman’s grave.

On this day, June 12th 1845, Cottenham Dissenters' Cemetery was formally opened. According to the local press, an assemb...
12/06/2026

On this day, June 12th 1845, Cottenham Dissenters' Cemetery was formally opened. According to the local press, an assemblage of 500 to 600 people attended the ceremony, with addresses given by Rev T. Sutton (Ebenezer Chapel) and Rev J. Green (Old Meeting House).

The cemetery had been established by members of local nonconformist churches (Dissenters) in response to the difficulties they faced in burying their loved ones without interference from the established Church. A board of trustees was formed, and an acre of land on Lambs Lane (then known as Mill Road) was purchased from farmer James Graves for £280, with funds raised through public subscriptions from the nonconformist congregations.

The first burial in the cemetery was that of three-year-old Ann Norman, daughter of Richard and Molly Norman of Queenholme Farm. Ann died of whooping cough on June 8th and was laid to rest on June 12th 1845 - the same day as the opening. Her memorial carries the inscription: “The first interment in this Cemetery.”

Since then, the Dissenters' Cemetery has continued to serve as a place of rest and remembrance for the local community, with around 4,000 individuals recorded in its burial register.

Since 2015, the cemetery has been managed as a registered charitable organisation, overseen by volunteer trustees dedicated to ensuring it remains a peaceful resting place, available to all in Cottenham. In recent years, this work has included establishing a new cemetery extension to meet the future needs of the community.

Address

Lambs Lane
Cottenham
CB248TB

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