Hampstead Cemetery London

Hampstead Cemetery, Hampstead, London

London Cemeteries: Hampstead Cemetery

Hampstead Cemetery, West Hampstead, London, UK. — Hampstead Cemetery, West Hampstead, London

Hampstead Cemetery in north London is a historic cemetery with an estimated 60,000 people buried here.

Hampstead Cemetery, Hampstead, London, UK. — An oasis of green, the cemetery has a wide variety of trees and plants and is a haven for wildlife

History

The Hampstead Burial Board was established in 1873 to create a new cemetery for the parish of Hampstead. The cemetery was consecrated by the Bishop of London and officially opened in November 1876.

Grave, Hampstead Cemetery, London, UK. — Ornate grave in Hampstead Cemetery, Hampstead, London © Hiro Taniguchi

Architectural Features

The cemetery features two Gothic-style mortuary chapels, both designated as Grade II listed buildings. Originally, the southern chapel served Anglican worshippers, while the northern chapel was used by non-conformists. The two chapels share a common porte-cochère. Today, only the southern chapel remains in use, serving as an interfaith place of worship.[2] The cemetery also has an entrance lodge constructed from Kentish Rag and Bath stone. Restoration work on these historic buildings has received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Numerous Celtic crosses can be found southwest of the chapels, reflecting the presence of several Scottish families buried in the cemetery. The northeastern section contains notable examples of modern and Art Deco stonework, including the Bianchi monument (a large triangular grave for the Gall family) and a sculpted church organ erected in memory of Charles Barritt.

Hampstead Cemetery, London, UK. — The area close to Hampstead Cemetery © Hiro Taniguchi

Located in the eastern section of the cemetery, the tomb of James Wilson, also known as Wilson Pasha, who served as Chief Engineer to the Egyptian Government from 1875 to 1901, is crafted from red marble and features a distinctive Egyptian-inspired design.

A monument created by the sculptor Sir William Goscombe John in memory of his wife, Marthe, who died in 1923, has a history of repeated theft. It was stolen from the cemetery in 2001 but recovered several months later after being identified at an auction. The monument was subsequently transferred to East Finchley Cemetery, where it was stolen again from a storage area in autumn 2006. It has not been recovered since.

Notable People Buried At Hampstead Cemetery

The cemetery is the final resting place of several notable figures from the worlds of entertainment, politics, art, architecture, and medicine.

Marie Lloyd, one of the most popular English music-hall performers of her time, attracted more than 50,000 mourners to her funeral in 1922. Andrew Fisher, who served three separate terms as Prime Minister of Australia, is also buried here, alongside Dame Gladys Cooper, the celebrated English stage and screen actress whose career spanned several decades.

The cemetery is also the resting place of Kate Greenaway, the renowned 19th-century children's book illustrator and author known for her distinctive watercolour illustrations, and Paula Rego, a distinguished Portuguese/British artist recognised for her powerful paintings and prints exploring women's experiences.

Other notable figures include Sir Banister Fletcher, the architectural historian best known for his influential reference work A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method, and Joseph Lister, the pioneering surgeon who introduced the use of carbolic acid in surgical antisepsis, helping to reduce infection rates and improve surgical safety.

West Hampstead. — The peaceful street near the cemetery

Access - how to get to Hampstead Cemetery

69 Fortune Green Road
London NW6 1DR
Tel: 0207 527 8300

The cemetery has no crematorium and is closed to new burials, apart from those who have already bought a plot. It is open from 8.30 am or 9 am (weekends) to 7 pm daily.

The nearest London Underground station is Hampstead tube station on the Northern Line from where the cemetery is a roughly 30-minute walk.

London buses 13 and 113 stop close by on Fortune Green Road. The 139 and 328 stop on Finchley Road.

Some London pubs in the Hampstead area include The Flask and The Holly Bush.

Nearby

Hampstead Heath is a 25-minute walk to the north. Kenwood House is about 40 minutes on foot. Also on Hamstead Heath is a hidden London treasure - The Hill Garden and Pergola. The historic Emmanuel Church in West Hampstead is less than a 10-minute walk away. Fenton House & Garden is also 20 minutes on foot.

Accommodation in this part of London includes 198 Studios, a studio apartment in West Hampstead and Quality Hotel Hampstead, a 3-star property close to Finchley & Frognal Station.