'Unusual' pet cemetery at heart of multimillion pound housing project

The land around Carrow Works is set to be transformed into a bustling new neighbourhood of luxury riverside flats, gleaming offices and landscaped green spaces.

But when the scheme eventually takes shape it is likely to also have a slightly more unusual feature at the heart of it... a Victorian pet cemetery.

The cemetery - which was created by the Colman family when they lived there - is among several locations on the site to have been given listed status by heritage experts.

It means developers will have to take it into account as part of their multimillion pound regeneration of the area.

The cemetery contains a total of 19 tombs holding the remains of animals - all thought to be dogs - which were buried by the Colmans, who were great animal lovers.

They were built between 1891 and 1922, up against a flint rubble wall which is believed to be the original precinct wall of Carrow Priory - which once stood on the site - dating back to the medieval period.

Among those commemorated in the cemetery are Laddie, Leo, Duke, John, Little John, Jim, Jack, Chappie, Chris, Jock, Snippet, Don, Jo and Rufus.

Jeremiah James Colman. (Image: Archant)

The tombs have been given special heritage protection by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport after Historic England conducted a review of several sites linked to the Colman's mustard industry in Carrow and Trowse.

Norwich City Council requested the review as the land is earmarked for development, as part of a huge £653m project known as the East Norwich Masterplan.

Historic England described the monuments as an "unusual example of a private pet cemetery" and "an illustration of the attitude of the Colman family to their pets, and of social attitudes to pets in the late 19th to early 20th century".

The tombs sit around 40m west of Carrow Abbey and most of the pets' names remain legible. All have been given Grade II status.

Historic maps show a winding path from the gardens that went past the graves so family members and visitors could pass them regularly.

Carrow Abbey in Norwich. (Image: submitted)

Pet pioneers

Pet cemeteries started to be created in the mid 19th century, with a public pet cemetery in Hyde Park, London, dating from the 1860s.

Landowners, like the Colmans, tended to bury their pets on their private land. Any development on the site will have to take into account the tombs.

Other features around Carrow and Trowse have also recently been given listed status, including the Conservatory at Carrow House, the Trowse railway station and the Trowse Sewage Pumping Station.

Mike Stonard, Norwich City Council's cabinet member for inclusive and sustainable growth, said the listings showed how important the area is to Norwich's heritage which the emerging masterplan would respect.