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St. Michael Sanatorium Cemetery

Memorials	:	1
Location	:	Axbridge, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate	:	51.2904100, -2.8056900
Description	:	The St Michael's and All Saints Home, Axbridge, Somerset, was a sanatorium and convalescent home. Matilda Blanche Gibbs, wife of William Gibbs of Tyntesfield, Wraxall, founded the home. They had seven children, three of whom died from pulmonary tuberculosis. After the death of her children, she realised that patients needed longer care than hospitals could provide, so she decided to build a convalescent home. William Butterfield was appointed to design the home and chapel. Her youngest daughter, who died in 1874, had been an associate of the Community of St. Peter, an Anglican Sisterhood devoted to nursing, and the sisters... Read More	The St Michael's and All Saints Home, Axbridge, Somerset, was a sanatorium and convalescent home. Matilda Blanche Gibbs, wife of William Gibbs of Tyntesfield, Wraxall, founded the home. They had seven children, three of whom died from pulmonary tuberculosis. After the death of her children, she realised that patients needed longer care than hospitals could provide, so she decided to build a convalescent home. William Butterfield was appointed to design the home and chapel. Her youngest daughter, who died in 1874, had been an associate of the Community of St. Peter, an Anglican Sisterhood devoted to nursing, and the sisters were asked to run the home under the patronage of the Gibbs family. The home was opened on September 28, 1878, and designed originally to accommodate twenty four incurable tuberculosis patients. Treatment was free of charge but with the proviso that the patient’s family would pay for later funeral costs. The only other stipulation was that patients had to have been baptised in the Church of England. The home was extended in 1882 and fifty patients could now be accommodated. In April 1886, a new cemetery (extension) was consecrated [1] to the north-west corner of the estate. Males were buried on the south side and females on the north. Two mortuary buildings, one next to the rear entrance to the chapel and another shelter positioned along the path to the cemetery were also provided. The cemetery consecrated in 1886 forms the bulk of the burials recorded on Findagrave. However, there are firm indications that burials were taking place at St. Michael's Home before this new cemetery was consecrated [2]. From its opening to March 1886, eighty three other burials were recorded in the Cheddar Parish Burial Book, and they are likely interred either in the eastern section of the cemetery, or to the rear of the chapel mortuary building. Although no definitive plot map exists (or is even known to exist) these burials are under active research and will be added once their location has been determined. From the 1950s, with the discovery of antibiotics, the rates of tuberculosis had begun to decline. In 1956, St. Michael’s ceased to be used solely as a tuberculosis sanatorium, and with a reduction in numbers entering the Sisterhood, it had become clear that change was inevitable. In 1968 the Sisters of St. Peter returned to Woking, and in 1969, the land and buildings were sold to Leonard Cheshire Foundation Homes (now Leonard Cheshire Disability), and it became St Michael's Cheshire Home. Rising maintenance costs resulted in the cemetery being deconsecrated early in the 21st Century [3]. The headstones were moved to the side of the cemetery wall and the main burial area is now overgrown. Refs: [1] p4, Gloucestershire Chronicle, Saturday, April 10, 1886. "The Bishop of Bath and Wells has consecrated a piece of ground at Cheddar, the gift of Mrs. W. Gibbs, as a burial ground in connection with St. Michael's Home." [2] p8, Weston Mercury, Saturday, May 10, 1884. "... -the plea was that the bell being distinctly a call to worship within the walls, it could not be allowed- and yet we hear of the bell having been allowed in cases of funerals from St. Michael’s Home, when the entire service has been performed at the grave." [3] Somerset Heritage Centre Record D/D/cf/1980/10/15. Directions to cemetery (accessible only on foot): 1. If coming by car, park in the car park beneath the Cheddar reservoir embankment, on the outskirts of Axbridge. GPS Coordinates for the car park are 51.2853812,-2.8055434. The address of the car park is Cheddar reservoir car park, Cheddar Road, Axbridge, BS26 2HG. 2. Walk back along the tree-flanked approach drive that you have just driven down. 3. At the end of the drive cross straight over (be cautious of traffic) and take the signed footpath opposite, along Wood Lane. 4. In 100 metres you will reach the busy A371 road, exercise even more caution when crossing this road, and then continue ahead up the rising track, sign posted for Shipham. 5. Keep going through a gateway; in the distance, St Michael’s Cheshire Home will on your right. 6. Keep going, and you will pass a small ruined building on your left. 7. Just over 200 metres from the road the track passes through another gate and swings left. To the right will be the cemetery enclosed by yew trees. The cross-bar gate is the entrance to the cemetery – see cemetery photographs on Findagrave. Cautions and notes: 1. Wear good walking boots as the cemetery area can be slippery and wear long trousers to protect from the thorny shrubs that grow there. Also, in places, the walk to the cemetery is steep and the pathway rough. 2. Bring a friend to accompany you in case there are problems whilst onsite at the cemetery. 3. The tree canopy makes it difficult to take pictures of the headstones: Bring a good camera with flash capabilities. The alternative is to visit on a winter day after leaf fall, although with the surrounding yew trees, this is still likely to be problematic. 4. Do not expect to see the actual gravesites as the grave area is now overgrown (apart from the one military grave, near the central cross, which is still accessible). However, the gravestones can still be seen but not in their original positions. Secateurs would be a useful tool to carry to allow you to cut away some of the vegetation that surrounds the gravestones. 5. Not all burials had associated memorials – around a third were buried in unmarked graves – so do not be too disappointed if your relative’s memorial cannot be found. 6. Lastly, pay attention to the Celtic cross memorials, made of iron, that are scattered about the cemetery. They do not look like memorials (and they are also difficult to read), but they do inscribe the details of the deceased.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is St. Michael Sanatorium Cemetery?
St. Michael Sanatorium Cemetery is located at Axbridge, Sedgemoor District ,Somerset ,England.
St. Michael Sanatorium Cemetery cemetery's updated grave count on graveviews.com?
1 memorials
Where are the coordinates of the St. Michael Sanatorium Cemetery?
Latitude: 51.2904100
Longitude: -2.8056900

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Nearby Cemetories:

1. St. John the Baptist Churchyard
Axbridge, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.2876300, -2.8162900

2. Cheddar Baptist Burial Ground
Cheddar, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.2767330, -2.7792010

3. St Leonard's Churchyard
Shipham, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.3130980, -2.8001830

4. St. Andrew's Churchyard
Cheddar, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.2736740, -2.7761330

5. St. James the Great Churchyard
Winscombe, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3059750, -2.8456900

6. St Gregory Churchyard
Weare, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.2699900, -2.8408600

7. Shipham Cemetery
Shipham, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.3201930, -2.7992390

8. St Michael and All Angels
Rowberrow, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3240000, -2.7915000

9. Winscombe and Sandford Cemetery
Winscombe, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3223861, -2.8386889

10. Saint Andrew Churchyard
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Coordinate: 51.2943290, -2.8678900

11. St Congar Churchyard
Badgworth, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.2699300, -2.8674000

12. Methodist Church Burial Ground
Churchill, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3344140, -2.8000610

13. St. Peter's Churchyard
Draycott, Mendip District, England
Coordinate: 51.2580900, -2.7523800

14. Saint John the Baptist Churchyard
Churchill, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3384750, -2.8092710

15. Allerton Churchyard
Chapel Allerton, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.2479860, -2.8482400

16. St Mary's Church
Lower Langford, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3399805, -2.7813469

17. St. Andrew's Churchyard
Banwell, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3280700, -2.8637000

18. Banwell War Memorial
Banwell, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3278233, -2.8648124

19. St. John the Baptist Churchyard
Biddisham, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.2764090, -2.8878950

20. Holy Trinity Churchyard
Burrington, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3307830, -2.7496010

21. St Andrew's Church
Loxton, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.2981560, -2.8962140

22. Langford Chapelyard
Lower Langford, North Somerset Unitary Authority, England
Coordinate: 51.3434850, -2.7715630

23. The Blessed Virgin Mary
Axbridge, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.3112017, -2.8913443

24. St. Mary Magdalene Churchyard Extension
Wedmore, Sedgemoor District, England
Coordinate: 51.2327583, -2.8065246

St. Michael Sanatorium Cemetery

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