1836 Opened by the Bristol General Cemetery Company (BGCC) at a cost of £13,340.

1840 One side of the cemetery was consecrated and by the end of the 19th century 96,000 burials had taken place, but over time the site became dilapidated and run down after years of neglect.

1985 Businessman Tony Towner buys BGCC, with plans to build housing on the land at Arnos Vale.

1987 Mr Towner locked the cemetery and told relatives of those who were buried there that they should dig up their loved ones, leading to massive opposition and the start of campaign to save Arnos Vale, backed by the Post.

2003 Bristol City Council bought the site under a compulsory purchase order and a trust was set up for its restoration.

2005 The Heritage Lottery Fund provides a grant of £4.8 million for the renovation.

May 2007 The Lands Tribunal set the sum the city council had to pay to Mr Towner's company at just £1.

May 15, 2008 A turf-cutting ceremony marked the formal start of the restoration programme.

May 1, 2009 The first milestone of the restoration reached when the bell in the Anglican Chapel is rung.