Originally known as the Birmingham General Cemetery and opened in 1836, Key Hill was Birmingham’s first garden cemetery. It was founded by a group of non-conformist businessmen to solve the shortage of burial space in the city and allow their Ministers to conduct funerals. The cemetery was open to all creeds and denominations.
The Jewellery Quarter Cemeteries Project saw extensive catacomb repairs in 2019. Pathway and drainage improvements are currently ongoing, as is the improvement of the garden area above the catacombs. Work is scheduled to be complete by the end of Summer 2020, although it is anticipated that there may be Covid-19 related delays to some aspects of the project.
Find out more about the history of Key Hill Cemetery here.