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Family Trails and Activities

We have produced a range of activities for families to use when they visit the Jewellery Quarter Cemeteries.

You can look at the images here or download any activity as a PDF. They are all available as a printed booklet too. Pick up a copy from venues around the JQ or email josie.wall@birmingham.gov.uk for a copy.

Visiting a Cemetery

A cemetery is a wonderful green space full of nature and wildlife. It’s OK to explore a local cemetery like you would a local park. Arwen Clement, an end of life chaplain, helps us talk about death and cemeteries with young people and covers some simple rules to stay safe when visiting.

Maps for Explorers

We have three different trails available to chose from in each cemetery so there’s always plenty to do with the family. Use our treasure maps to navigate to help you find your way around!

Marie Challinor Tree Trail look for plaques at some of our special trees to find out more about them. There are 10 plaques across the two cemeteries for you to spot. Find out more here.

Young Explorers Trail use the clues to find interesting markers and graves.

Treasure Trail use our clues or GPS guide to find a treasure and swap for a treasure of your own inside!

Treasure Trail (GPS)

There are 10 hidden treasures in the Jewellery Quarter Cemeteries, each one is a small silver tin which contains a log book (so you can record the date you found it), a pencil and some treasures!
Take a treasure home and leave something behind for the next explorer. You could bring small gifts to put into the tins such as painted stones or small toys or leave a pretty pebble, feather or other natural treasure you have found while exploring. Please do not put food items into the tins – this might attract wildlife or go mouldy! If the tin you find is empty, you can report this to josie.wall@jqdt.org. We try to top the tins up with new treasure on a regular basis – including leaving themed items for different seasons e.g. Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

You can use the map, the location clues or GPS guide to help you find the tins! Make sure you put it back carefully so that other people can find it next time. If you enjoyed looking for our treasures, you might like Geocaching which also uses GPS to look for hidden treasures – there are lots across Birmingham to look for!

Young Explorers Trails

There is one trail for each cemetery. Warstone Lane cemetery has a short trail which covers a limited area, perfect for younger children and those with pushchairs. The Key Hill trail is longer, great for children who are good at walking and exploring.

Jewellery Quarter Cemeteries Project

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The Snowflake Trail is over now until Christmas 2023.
120 of you took a Snowflake home for your own tree and 40 people left a message for a loved one on our memory tree. Thank you for visiting and making this event so special
#JQChristmas #keyhillcemetery
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The Snowflake Trail is back for a 3rd year in Key Hill Cemetery and the weather laid on some real snow for us too!

The trail is free and open to everyone from 18th December until 1st January. Wrap up warm and explore, hunting for wooden snowflakes which hang from some of the trees forming a trail around the cemetery. Add the name of your loved one to our memory tree using the stars and snowflakes provided. Choose a decorative snowflake from the trail to take home for your own tree.

Please take care while walking as paths may be slippery in snowy, icy oe wet conditions. Please visit during daylight hours only.

Share your photos of your snowflake on your tree at home and tag us!

Key Hill Cemetery too far to travel? There are also snowflake trails at Lodge Hill Cemetery (18th Dec- 24th Dec), Lodge Hill Cemetery (18th Dec- 24th Dec) and Sutton Coldfield Crematorium (19th Dec - 24th Dec).
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This project is possible because of funding from: