The Opening 1894

The work of laying out an new cemetery for the Montrose Burial Board at Sleepyhillock, near the old Tayock Toll on the Montrose and Brechin turnpikes - the ground being better known to old Montrosians as the Conniegar - is now completed, and the place ready for internments. The plans for the laying out of the ground and for the handsome lodge at the main entrance at the south-east corner were prepared by Mr A. McCulloch, C.E., Dundee, and the work has been executed under the personal superintendence of Mr Bruce, Burgh Surveyor, whoalso took all the levels of the ground, and who has in addition carried on various improvements outside the original plan.

The total extent of the ground enclosed within the walls is about fifteen acres, and there are between one and two acres outside the walls.  The ground was acquired fromMr Cruikshank of Langley Park, who met the Montrose Burial Board in a liberal spirit, agreeing to hand over the ground at the fair price of £1450.  The erection of walls, lodge and other work have cost between £3000 and £4000.  It will thus be seen that the Burial Board have, thanks in a great measure to the excellent management of Councillor Grieve (Convenor), succeeded in securing for the town a new cemetery - which was an absolute necessity  - on very moderate terms.

The contractors for the work were:- Masons (for the walls), Messrs Reid & Burnett; joiner, Mr J. Davidson; plasterer, Mr J. Bowman; plumber, Mr J. L. Warden; slater, Mr C. Brand; concrete, Mssrs J. Lindsay & Son (under the sub-contract from Messrs Reid & Burnett); for the mason work for the main lodge, Mr A.Brown; for the railings, Mr J. Leven; for the main gate, Mr McCall, Dundee; and for the pitch pine garden seats, which are of a handsome and comfortable style, Messrs J. & W. Craigie and the Montrose Links Foundry Company.  The enclosing walls are of substantial rubble work.

By the original plan it was proposed that The Main Entrance with Lodge, should be off the Brechin Road, but the Board, after a good deal of discussion, sensibly decided, on the suggestion of Provost Mitchell, to place the lodge and main entrance at the south-east corner of the ground.

A carriageway from opposite the old Tayock Toll leads to the lodge and is planted with lime trees, Irish yews, poplars and other trees on either side, with shrubs and flower plots between. There is a gateway at what was originally intended to be the main entrance off the Brechin Road, and, on entering, the visitor finds that the ground on which it was proposed to erect the lodge has been most tastefully laid out in grass, with spaces for graves, and ornamental devices.

In laying out the ground Mr McCulloch has practically followed the system to adopted in Dundee Eastern Necropolis, with main carriage roads running through, and curved footpaths branching off, so that, practically speaking, a hearse can get up almost to the grave. Each roadway, is almost 22 feet broad, and there is eight feet of grave space at each side of the various sections, while at the end of each section there are special squares, for which a higher rate will be charged.

At the north-east corner a considerable portion of the ground is set apart for the burial of paupers and foreigners; but even there rows of trees have been planted in geometrical lines, with room for interments between each row, and when the trees are grown up visitors will be able tohave a fine view along each avenue. The work of laying out the ground has entailed an immense amount of labour in the way of excavations and of filling up hollows, with the result that the whole contour of The Old Conniegar  has been entirely altered, in some places the ground having been made up to the extent of 6 or 8 feet. The whole of that part of the work has been executed by a staff of men employed by Mr. Bruce.