Jews’ Burial Ground, Greendown Place, Combe Down

The Jews’ Burial Ground is a Grade II late Georgian cemetery situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage site. It remains highly significant as both a rare example of an intact Georgian cemetery, and a surviving remnant of the social history of one of Bath’s social minority groups. The cemetery includes approximately fifty tombstones, boundary wall and gate, and an Ohel (chapel) which has previously been used as an exhibition and education space.

BPT is supportive in principle to the much-needed conservation and restoration of the cemetery that will improve the material and aesthetic integrity of a Grade II heritage asset. We are additionally encouraging of measures that would result in increased public access and education, and feel that the social, historic, evidential, and ecological value of this site should receive greater positive attention.

Unfortunately, we cannot support the current application due to the lack of information provided regarding the current condition of the tombstones and Chest Tombs earmarked for restoration, their location within the cemetery, and the proposed means of repair and stabilisation. We would recommend that a Specification and Schedule of Works is submitted for the benefit of the LPA to enable a fully-informed decision in which the impact to historic fabric and form can be properly assessed.

We would additionally advise that further information is provided regarding changes to the metal gates and boundary walls. It would be suitable to provide existing and proposed elevations from the perspectives of North Road and Greendown Place to assess both the changes to the appearance of a Grade II heritage asset, and its visual impact on the wider conservation area. Therefore, whilst we support the scheme in principle, we would strongly recommend that additional documentation and information is supplied to the LPA before this application progresses further.