Mayor opens new council cemetery at Rainsbrook

Cllr Barbara Brown recently cut the ribbon at the cemetery's opening ceremony, 18 months after Leamington Spa-based O'Brien Contractors Limited started work on site.

The new cemetery has more than 4,100 grave plots and has been designed to improve access for the disabled, with 12 disabled parking spaces now available and a one-kilometre network of new roads and pathways.

The project has included significant landscaping of the site, with more than 200 trees and 13,000 shrubs being planted, together with bulbs and a hedgerow which runs across the entire cemetery to create a wildlife corridor set within a wildflower meadow.

To avoid water flooding the grave plots, an intricate drainage system has been installed beneath ground level. The drainage system allows water to flow into an underground reservoir which then flows at a controlled rate into the Rains Brook to avoid flooding during heavy rainfall.

Work on the cemetery started a decade after Rainsbrook Crematorium first opened its doors in 2014.

A cemetery was included in the original plans for the crematorium, but the council decided to postpone work on the cemetery until the council's cemeteries at Clifton Road, Croop Hill, Watts Lane and Whinfield were nearer to full capacity.

The new cemetery at Rainsbrook looks set to serve the borough for the next 40 years.

Cllr Brown said: "We were delighted to partner with O'Brien Contractors on this major project for Rugby, with the company's considerable expertise delivering a modern, accessible cemetery built to high environmental standards.

"The landscaping work means the cemetery complements the grounds of the crematorium and the stunning surroundings of Rainsbrook Valley, making it a beautiful place for contemplation and remembrance."

Rainsbrook Crematorium was built by Rugby Borough Council and the then Daventry District Council, before it became part of West Northamptonshire Council when it was formed in 2021.

Rugby Borough Council has sole responsibility for the operation of Rainsbrook Cemetery, with all grave plots owned by the council.

For more information about Rainsbrook Cemetery and Crematorium, visit www.rainsbrookcrematorium.co.uk