Large cemeteries have become rather important havens of increasingly rare large urban trees, wildlife and gothic ornamental sculpture — and even fine typography — all preserved in the heart of a rapidly changing urban environment. For now, sentiment usually prevents planners from turning run-down cemeteries into car parks or widened roads or flats. Don’t think housing couldn’t happen, though — the majority of Tipton cemetery was taken for housing in 2001, in the Black Country. And with councils increasingly gravestone-toppling to prevent spurious compensation-culture claims, and with similar vandalism from yobs, and an increasing move to cremations — will your local cemeteries still be there in 2058? When you take into account that central government is ordering the West Midlands to build 420,000 new houses by 2030?

So it’s good to hear there’s to be a day-long conference on 19th June 2008 at Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter Discovery Centre. Paradise Preserved? West Midlands Cemeteries has been organised by the Garden History Society in association with Birmingham’s Victorian Society…

“There will be talks on the history of 19th Century cemeteries with particular reference to West Midland examples, the present state and conservation of cemeteries, English Heritage and historic cemeteries and a vision for them. We shall visit Key Hill and Warstone Lane Cemeteries in the afternoon with an optional tour in the evening of London Road Cemetery, Coventry, designed by Paxton. Speakers include Ian Hussein, Jonathan Lovie, Sarah Rutherford, Jenifer White and Birmingham City Council Conservation Officer, Toni Demidowicz.”