Headstone restoration at Eastwood cemetery pays tribute to DH Lawrence and family

​The £1,000 restoration was funded by the DH Lawrence Society, with a £200 contribution from Broxtowe Borough Council, who own and manage the nearby DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum.

Dr Andrew Harrison, director of the DH Lawrence Research Centre, said: “The Lawrence family grave in Eastwood Cemetery is an important landmark in the town, commemorating not only the author’s life but that of his brother William Ernest, who tragically died of erysipelas in 1901 at the age of 23, and the lives of his mother and father, who died in 1910 and 1924 respectively.

"The DH Lawrence Society is proud to have contributed to the upkeep of it."

Alan Wilson, chairman of the DH Lawrence Society, added: “We are thrilled to have this monument restored so beautifully, serving as a visual symbol of the legacy of DH Lawrence, his family, and a close connection with the Eastwood heritage.”

The DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum is where the literary legend was born on September 11, 1885.

The museum gives visitors a chance to experience a traditional Victorian wash house, see the parlour, feel the warmth of the fire in the kitchen and have a wander around the parental and other bedrooms.

A permanent exhibition at the museum features items from Lawrence’s family and even paintings created by the author himself.

Carolyn Melbourne, museum and collections officer, said the family grave is a tribute to the author’s legacy.

She said: “We're really pleased that we have been able to assist in the restoration of the Lawrence family grave.

“Many of the people who visit us at the museum go on to explore the wider Eastwood area to see the places that Lawrence wrote about in his works, and this includes visiting the grave.

“Having it restored is a tribute to the legacy that Lawrence continues to leave in the town, county and across the world.”

Residents are invited to join members of the society and representatives from the council for an official unveiling of the new headstone this Saturday, May 20, meeting at the museum on Victoria Street at 3pm.