The former Mendip Hospital cemetery and mortuary chapel in Wells have been officially recognised for their historic significance, securing a place on the National Heritage List for England.

The cemetery, built in the 1870s for the Somerset and Bath County Asylum, has been designated as a Grade II registered park and garden by Historic England. Meanwhile, the mortuary chapel on the site has also been awarded Grade II listed status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, following advice from Historic England.

Asylum cemeteries are rare historical sites, with only a few surviving in the south-west. Mendip Hospital is one of just four Victorian asylums in the region to have its own cemetery, and only two of these include a mortuary chapel. The cemetery remains largely intact, designed to provide a dignified and peaceful resting place for the hospital's patients and staff.

Clare Blackmore, vice-chair of the Friends of Mendip Hospital Cemetery, welcomed the listing: "It is wonderful that this unique, beautiful, and historic three-acre site with its mortuary chapel has been recognised by Historic England. The site is the last resting place of nearly 3,000 souls from the Somerset and Bath County Pauper Asylum, Wells Mental Hospital, and Mendip Hospital who, after tragic and troubled lives, now rest in peace in this wonderful place. Historic England will help us ensure we can preserve the past, present and future with the respect they deserve."

Simon Wardle, Historic England's South West Listing team leader, explained the site's national importance: "Mendip Hospital Cemetery is a rare and essentially intact example of a detached asylum cemetery, inspired by a profound commitment to give patients and staff a dignified final resting place. We are pleased that both the cemetery and chapel are now included on the National Heritage List for England."

Diana Hebditch, chairman of Somerset Gardens Trust, also celebrated the news. "We are absolutely delighted to have assisted the Friends of Mendip Hospital with funding for the study that led to this successful listing," she said. "It gives this important garden the recognition and protection it deserves. We are always keen to hear from individuals and organisations who know of such landscaped treasures in Somerset that need the support and protection for which our Trust was founded."

The new listing ensures that the cemetery and chapel will be preserved, continuing as a meaningful landmark in Somerset's history.