Jewish Burial Ground off Lambhay Hill, Plymouth

This is a Jewish burial ground, established in the 1740s and expanded during the 18th and early 19th centuries to form the roughly rectangular enclosure that exists today. The land was acquired through several purchases, and the relatively small area was used for double-depth burials and divided into segregated areas for different families, resulting in a terraced appearance with a sunken central area. Ruins of a probable ohel, a ritual canopy or structure, are located at the southern end of the western wall, reached by a flight of steps rising to the entrance doorway of the burial ground.

The perimeter walls are constructed of stone rubble and vary in height; approximately 10 feet along the south and west sides, around 8 feet high and rendered along the east side, and between 4 and 5 feet high on the south-facing side along the north wall, rising to approximately 15 feet high on its northern side where it forms a boundary wall to backyards of properties fronting New Street. The western wall’s northern end is incorporated into the eastern wall of No. 47 New Street. Terraces bordering the walls are held up by rubble retaining walls, and short flights of steps connect the different levels. The entrance doorway at the southern end of the western wall is high in the walling and accessed by an L-shaped staircase situated within the ruined ohel building, portions of whose walls remain.

An oval ashlar stone set into the west wall records a gift of £157 by Joseph Joseph to complete the purchase of the land. Tombstones, primarily of limestone and slate dating from approximately 1740 to the 1870s, are mostly oriented towards the east, although some face south, likely due to later alterations. Most have arched heads, though some have flat tops or alternative shapes, and while mostly full-sized, some are for small children, with one double-width stone present. Relief sculpture on the tombstones is limited, appearing primarily as representations of Cohanim hands and basin and ewer symbols. The majority of the stones stand intact, though some have fallen or broken. The raised terrace at the southern end is overgrown, and fewer stones are upright in that section of the burial ground.