Heritage Open Days: How the Church Lost the Plot

As part of Heritage Open Days, join Dr Julie Rugg from the University of York, for a captivating exploration into the politics, power, and profits of Victorian burial.

Drawing on decades of research into cemeteries and cemetery companies, Dr Rugg will uncover how the Burial Acts of the mid-19th century secured the Church of England’s dominance in burial provision, vastly increasing its income and influence. This privileged position, however, did not go unchallenged and over time, through determined and often heated lobbying, the Church’s control began to erode.

With wit and insight, Dr Rugg will reveal how this battle for burial rights played out, and how it shaped the very cemeteries we walk through today. Her talk also highlights how cemeteries themselves have rich and complex “biographies” – layered histories that reflect wider social, religious, and political change. A must for anyone interested in Victorian history, heritage, or the untold stories behind our burial grounds.