Jews’ Burial Ground, Greendown Place, Combe Down, Bath

The Jews’ Burial Ground is a Grade II mid-19th century cemetery situated within the Combe Down area of the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site. The listing incorporates the largely unbroken rubble stone boundary wall that runs along Bradford Road, wrought iron gates, and the cottage structure (suggested to be an Ohel, or chapel, by Historic England, but indicated to be within residential use from 1825 onwards by the Friends of Bath Jewish Burial Ground) that forms part of the boundary treatment of the cemetery ground. The cemetery is a significant surviving feature of Bath’s historic Jewish community and is one of only 15 Georgian Jewish cemeteries nationally. The proposed site of the garden store is indicated to have been part of the structure prior to the 1940s, likely used as a WC.

In the interest of transparency, we highlight that the Trust does financially contribute to the work of the World Heritage Site Enhancement Fund who have approved a grant for conservation works across the site.

This proposal offers a positive opportunity for the relocation and storage of necessary maintenance equipment and the reuse of the cottage structure as an education and exhibition space. The proposed garden store is recessive in appearance and makes use of an existing, previously developed alcove tucked down the side of the cottage with resulting negligible impact to the appearance and special historic interest of the cemetery. We welcome the opportunity to bring the cottage back into use as a space for the interpretation of the site and to facilitate public education and engagement with resulting conservation benefits for the future health and material integrity of the building.