Staff and volunteers left devastated

The staff and volunteer team at Arnos Vale cemetery are taking stock after an overnight fire on 14th November had destroyed storage bays and a £2000 store of wood.

The fire took place in the woodland compound at Arnos Vale, an area being developed by the Trust to run a range of volunteering and community activities, including landscape management, green woodworking, charcoal-making and mini-beast hunts.

Loss and damage caused by the fire included the destruction of two weatherproof storage bays, built during the HLF restoration project (completed 2010), and the cemetery’s entire store of seasoned wood which had been intended for sale over the winter providing a vital income to the Trust.

The cemetery is appealing for public to help to recover from the arson attack by supporting Arnos Vale with donations, joining our Angels Supporters Scheme and supporting our programme of public events. You can donate in person by calling into the Cemetery, by post or online at www.virginmoneygiving.com

Arnos Vale also has Christmas Trees for sale from 3rd December onwards - if you'd like to buy one then please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details.

Juliette Randall, Chief Executive of Arnos Vale Cemetery Trust, said:

“It is so disappointing that the thoughtless acts of a few have had such an impact on this place of respect and remembrance.              

November is a particularly busy time of year, we have just remembered Armistice Day, won an English Heritage award and are now in the middle of our programme of community events leading up to Christmas. The wood store was the culmination of a year’s hard work by volunteers to fell trees, season the wood and chop into logs for sale.                                                                                                          

The loss represents not just £2000 in lost sales of our popular winter logs, but all the effort our supporters put into the cemetery in a variety of ways to ensure our future sustainability.”

The cemetery team are exploring what work needs to be undertaken to make good the damage done. But in the meantime it’s business-as-usual with the cemetery’s programme of community events

Police believe the fire was the work of arsonists and an investigation is now underway.                  

If anyone has any information about this event, please call Avon & Somerset Police: 0845 567000.

Bristol Evening Post article