Heritage Trust reports progress with Witham’s Cemetery restoration
The Gibraltar Heritage Trust has reported further progress in the ongoing restoration of Witham’s Cemetery, a historic site dating from the mid-18th century located behind Jumper’s Building.
The cemetery, which contains the remains of over 200 individuals, has been undergoing recovery work since 2016.
It was reopened as a public passageway and place of reflection in the summer of 2022.
Most of the restoration work has been carried out by regular volunteers, who continue to meet weekly to maintain and improve the site.
The latest development saw the addition of 6.5 metres of dressed stone, sourced from the Harrison Boutique Hotel project on Line Wall Road, the site of the former Toc H. The stones, believed to date from Victorian alterations to the line wall, had been destined for disposal.
With Gibraltar lacking a dedicated store for salvaged heritage materials, the Gibraltar Heritage Trust accepted the stones, describing them as authentic architectural elements that could be reused rather than lost.
They have now been incorporated into the border of the main path at the cemetery.
Support for the delivery and installation came from contractor Electricon, as well as Anglo Hispano, which provided a forklift and pallet trolleys to transport the stones, each weighing around 200 kilograms.
The Gibraltar Heritage Trust said the project highlights the importance of finding ways to reuse heritage materials, which are often discarded during development works.
Witham’s Cemetery is open daily from sunrise to sunset, offering visitors a quiet space away from the town centre. The Gibraltar Heritage Trust also organises occasional historic tours of the site.
Further information on the restoration project and details on how to support the work of the Gibraltar Heritage Trust can be found at www.gibraltarheritagetrust.org.gi