Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Cemetery, Hanwell
Encyclopedia
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Cemetery, Hanwell (aka Hanwell Cemetery) is located on the north side of the Uxbridge Road
in Hanwell
, London
, England
.
, this an extramural cemetery was created and open in 1855 by the St Mary Abbots
parish in North Kensington, with the assistance of the Hanwell Urban District Council. This was to take the pressure off St Mary's own burial grounds which were almost full. Moreover, burials within the capital was now looked upon as a potential health problem and so the Burial Act 1857
was passed. One of the provisions was for new interment s to be carried out beyond the densely populated areas of London.
It lies on the east side of Hanwell's boundary with West Ealing
and the old boundary stones can still be seen along the ground's eastern perimeter.
In common with the Victorian style for parks, it is intricately landscaped with many curving paths. A variety of trees including yew, pine and oak are spread throughout the grounds with tall cedars around the perimeter help to create a more interesting vista than would an open and repeating grid system of graves. The entrance from the Uxbridge Road it though a tall stone arch with heavy iron gates and past a lodge. A long avenue of tall evergreen yew, holly and box hedging, leads to the burial area and the chapel which is situated towards the centre. The chapel (which is now disused and in disrepair), lodge and arch, are built of Kentish Ragstone in the Revived Gothic
style. All three where designed by Thomas Allom
whose name appears inscribed atop the arch. He himself, is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
.
It was then taken over by the then Metropolitan Borough of Kensington
and they opened another cemetery, nearby at Acton
in 1926. It is now owned by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
.
February–March–October: 9am - 5.30pm
April–May–September: Monday to Saturday: 9am – 7pm Sundays: 9am - 6pm
June–July–August: Monday to Saturday: 9am – 8pm. Sundays: 9am - 7pm
Buses: E3
, E8
, 83
, 195
, 207
, 427
, 607
.
Trains:
British Rail: Hanwell railway station
Underground: Ealing Broadway station
.
A graveyard map giving the plot numbers, is on a notice board, on the wall of the lodge, just through the arch and on the left hand side.
Uxbridge Road
Uxbridge Road is the name of the A4020 road in London. It starts at Shepherd's Bush Green and goes west towards Uxbridge. It passes through Acton, Ealing Broadway and Hanwell....
in Hanwell
Hanwell
Hanwell is a town situated in the London Borough of Ealing in west London, between Ealing and Southall. The motto of Hanwell Urban District Council was Nec Aspera Terrent...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
Although located in the London Borough of EalingLondon Borough of Ealing
The London Borough of Ealing is a borough in west London.-Location:The London Borough of Ealing borders the London Borough of Hillingdon to the west, the London Borough of Harrow and the London Borough of Brent to the north, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to the east and the London...
, this an extramural cemetery was created and open in 1855 by the St Mary Abbots
St Mary Abbots
St Mary Abbots is an historic church located on Kensington High Street , London at a prominent intersection with Kensington Church Street. The present church was built in 1872 by the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in neo-Gothic Early English style. It was the latest in a succession of churches...
parish in North Kensington, with the assistance of the Hanwell Urban District Council. This was to take the pressure off St Mary's own burial grounds which were almost full. Moreover, burials within the capital was now looked upon as a potential health problem and so the Burial Act 1857
Burial Act 1857
The Burial Act 1857 is a British law. It was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1857. Its purpose is to regulate burial grounds. It regulates where and how deceased people may be buried, and provides for the exhumation of remains....
was passed. One of the provisions was for new interment s to be carried out beyond the densely populated areas of London.
It lies on the east side of Hanwell's boundary with West Ealing
West Ealing
West Ealing is a place in the London Borough of Ealing in west London.-History:West Ealing in its present form is less than 100 years old....
and the old boundary stones can still be seen along the ground's eastern perimeter.
In common with the Victorian style for parks, it is intricately landscaped with many curving paths. A variety of trees including yew, pine and oak are spread throughout the grounds with tall cedars around the perimeter help to create a more interesting vista than would an open and repeating grid system of graves. The entrance from the Uxbridge Road it though a tall stone arch with heavy iron gates and past a lodge. A long avenue of tall evergreen yew, holly and box hedging, leads to the burial area and the chapel which is situated towards the centre. The chapel (which is now disused and in disrepair), lodge and arch, are built of Kentish Ragstone in the Revived Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. All three where designed by Thomas Allom
Thomas Allom
Thomas Allom was an English architect, artist, and topographical illustrator. He was a founding member of what became the Royal Institute of British Architects . He designed many buildings in London, including the Church of St Peter's and parts of the elegant Ladbroke Estate in Notting Hill...
whose name appears inscribed atop the arch. He himself, is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
.
It was then taken over by the then Metropolitan Borough of Kensington
Metropolitan Borough of Kensington
The Metropolitan Borough of Kensington was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965.It bordered Chelsea, Fulham, Hammersmith, Paddington, and Westminster...
and they opened another cemetery, nearby at Acton
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
in 1926. It is now owned by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
.
Ecology
Before the Inclosure Acts, this ground was the deep, rich, common land, known as East Field. The land is drained by a very small brook which rises from a spring in nearby Milton Road just to the north. This flows unseen now, through a culvert that runs under the grounds towards the Uxbridge Road in the south. Its distance from main roads, the shelter given by the trees and general lack of busy activity, makes this a very peaceful place. It is no wonder therefore, that the cemetery has become something of a sanctuary for wild birds. The London Borough of Ealing views it as part of a conservation corridor with that of its neighbouring cemetery the Westminster City Cemetery, Hanwell on the opposite side of the Uxbridge Road.Visiting
January–November–December: 9am - 4.30pmFebruary–March–October: 9am - 5.30pm
April–May–September: Monday to Saturday: 9am – 7pm Sundays: 9am - 6pm
June–July–August: Monday to Saturday: 9am – 8pm. Sundays: 9am - 7pm
Buses: E3
London Buses route E3
London Buses route E3 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, E8
London Buses route E8
London Buses route E8 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
, 83
London Buses route 83
London Buses route 83 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, 195
London Buses route 195
London Buses route 195 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, UK. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, 207
London Buses route 207
London Buses route 207 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, 427
London Buses route 427
London Buses route 427 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
, 607
London Buses route 607
London Buses route 607 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Centrewest.-History:...
.
Trains:
British Rail: Hanwell railway station
Hanwell railway station
Hanwell railway station is a railway station in Hanwell in the London Borough of Ealing. The station is managed by First Great Western but served by local services operated by Heathrow Connect from London to Heathrow Airport.-History:...
Underground: Ealing Broadway station
Ealing Broadway station
Ealing Broadway is an east-west National Rail and London Underground station in Ealing in west London. The station is located in Haven Green , at the termination of The Broadway, and is in Travelcard Zone 3.-Services:...
.
A graveyard map giving the plot numbers, is on a notice board, on the wall of the lodge, just through the arch and on the left hand side.
Burials
There are many interesting graves and monuments in the cemetery,- Sir Charles Edward InglisCharles Inglis (engineer)Sir Charles Edward Inglis OBE was a British civil engineer. Inglis spent much of his life as a lecturer and academic at King's College Cambridge and made several important studies into the effects of vibration and defects on the strength of plate steel...
(31 July 1875 – 19 April 1952) who was a British civil engineer. It is a very tall memorial, which also features his likeness in carved relief in the style of a medallion. - Edgar Albert SmithEdgar Albert SmithEdgar Albert Smith was a British zoologist, a malacologist.His father was the Frederick Smith, a well-known entomologist, and Assistant Keeper of Zoology in the British Museum, Bloomsbury...
(29 November 1847 - 22 July 1916), conchologist. - John ConollyJohn ConollyJohn Conolly , English psychiatrist, was born at Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, of an Irish family. He spent four years as a lieutenant in the Cambridgeshire Militia and lived for a year in France before embarking on a medical career.He graduated with an MD degree at University of Edinburgh in 1821...
(27 May 1794 – 5 March 1866) Pioneering psychiatrist and superintendent of the Hanwell AsylumHanwell AsylumThe County Asylum at Hanwell, also known as Hanwell Insane Asylum, and Hanwell Pauper and Lunatic Asylum, was built for the pauper insane and is now the West London Mental Health Trust ...
. He was buried here when it was still permitted for local residents to also be interned in these ground.
External links
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.Hanwell Cemetery. Official site. Accessed 2010-11-12
- Find a grave. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Cemetery, Hanwell Accessed 2010-11-12