A rededication service for a remote rural cemetery near Thruscross will take place next month.

The isolated moorland burial site was opened before the village of West End was flooded in 1966 to create a reservoir to serve West Yorkshire.

Beneath the waters lie the ruined remains of a church, churchyard, school, houses and other buildings.

All residents of West End were relocated from their Washburn Valley homes before construction work on the dam began.

At the same time, the new cemetery was opened so that the bodies exhumed from the churchyard could be reburied.

Before the village disappeared Atlantis-like under millions of gallons of water, a final service took place at Holy Trinity.

The then Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. Llewelyn Hughes, spoke about a place of Christian worship for a thousand years, soon to be in its own watery grave.

One person, who attended the service, said afterwards:

“Seeing the vacant churchyard with its open graves and tombs was an eerie experience, while the Dean’s oratory, delivered in the flickering light of hundreds of candles, was powerful, atmospheric and something I will never forget.”

It’s more than 55 years since the deceased men, women and children of West End were relocated to their new place of rest, high on the moors above the reservoir.

During the past two years, Norman Wheat and fellow Thruscross parish councillors, with support from parishioners at St Saviour’s Thornthwaite, have transformed the cemetery.

The Rev. Alastair Ferneley, who will conduct the rededication service

At 3pm on July 4, the lives of all those buried there, will be celebrated.

The service will be conducted by The Revd. Alastair Ferneley, Vicar of Dacre with Hartwith and Darley with Thornthwaite, who said:

“People may not be aware, due to its remote but lovely location, that the cemetery on Greenhow Hill Road, has, thanks to the hard work of Norman and others, been improved in the last couple of years.

“This has involved the laying of paths, and the planting of wildflowers and trees, making maintenance much more manageable and the cemetery much more attractive.

“Following the reburials of the dead from West End in the 1960s, other local people have been buried in the cemetery and there is space for centuries to come.

“All are welcome to attend, including local people, considering being laid to rest here, when the time comes.

“Others may simply want to peruse the memorials for a bit of local history, look for the grave of a relative, or enjoy the birdsong and moorland views.”

The rededication service will be followed by refreshments and a quiz/treasure hunt.

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