The Black Tom area of Bedford seems an unlikely destination for those seeking the wonders of architectural, cultural and natural history. For those who crave stories of life, love, tragedy, triumph, heroism and even heinous crimes. For those who love botany, birds and bats. But you don’t have to look very hard to find all of these things in one magical place. Many people pass Foster Hill Road Cemetery every day without giving its treasures a second thought, but Heritage Open Days aims to celebrate very special sites such as this and remind local communities how lucky they are to have them, as well as giving access to areas and information not usually open to the public.

From 11 am to 4 pm – The Cemetery will have all the records available for the cemetery from 1855 when it opened, up until the time the grounds were not used on a regular basis, as it was then full. This is an opportunity for everyone to search for records of past relatives or just to see how fascinating these books are. There will be Friends and cemetery staff available to help in searches and also to guide people to a specific area of the grounds.

From 12 noon we will  have a stall selling bric-a-brac, ornaments, trinkets, baubles, curios, and other miscellanies. So come along and grab yourself a bargain.

Tea and cake will be available for a small charge