Description
Acton Cemetery was opened in 1895 on farmland purchased for the purpose by Acton Local Board in 1893. Land was initially consecrated for burial in the southern section, a drive from the entrance leading to a pair of chapels connected by a porte-cochère with picturesque turret. The cemetery was extended to the north in 1915 and 1926 but by 1903 the site was divided by the railway line running east/west, the two parts connected by a metal footbridge. Among those buried here are various civic dignitaries and others, including Albert Perry, a passenger on the SS Lusitania, and George Temple, the first British airman to fly upside down. Near the entrance on Chase Road to the north a small circular memorial garden was created c.2001 on the site of a former cemetery building.
Practical Information
| Site location | Park Royal Road/Chase Road, Acton |
|---|---|
| Postcode | NW10 |
| What3Words | ///over.feeds.fetch |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Ealing |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - weekdays, 9am weekends. Closing: 4.30pm Nov-Feb; 5.30pm Mar, Oct; 7pm Sept, Apr; 8pm May-Aug. |
| Public Transport | Tube: North Acton (Central). Bus: 260, H40. |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Acton Cemetery opened in 1895, set up by the Acton Burial Board to provide more facilities for burial as the population of the parish grew. In 1893 Acton Local Board (created Acton UDC following the Local Government Board 1894) had purchased 13 acres of farmland belonging to Lower Place Farm by the junction of Horn Lane and Willesden Lane, now called Park Royal Road. On the southern part two chapels were built and 6.5 acres were initially consecrated and laid out for the cemetery. North of this the railway line was soon constructed for the New North Main Line, a joint project of the Great Western Railway and Great Central Railway to improve access to Birmingham and north-west England. The line, which came to be known as the Acton & Northolt line, opened in 1903 with North Acton station opening in 1904. The line is now used by the Central Line. The cemetery was extended north of the railway line, the new areas consecrated in 1915 and 1926; the OS Map of 1920 shows the cemetery divided by the railway line running east/west. The two parts were connected by a metal footbridge, with the main cemetery entrance in the southern, older section. Up a short drive from the entrance is the pair of Early English Gothic style stone chapels, an Anglican and a Non-Conformist. Designed by Borough Surveyor, Daniel Ebbetts (Ebbets), they are connected by a porte-cochère with picturesque turret.
The cemetery has a basic layout of paths, and is now hemmed in by industrial development. There is little mature planting, some lime, holly, yew, horse chestnut, Leylandia among other species mainly in the south section, with less in the north section. It is bounded by utilitarian C20th railings to Park Royal Road. Among those buried here are various civic dignitaries and others, including Albert Perry, a passenger on the SS Lusitania, which went down in 1915 due to a German submarine torpedo, whose memorial is a granite cross rising from a life belt; and George Temple, the first British airman to fly upside down, who was killed at Hendon Aerodrome in 1914. A Cross of Sacrifice was erected by the Imperial War Graves Commission to honour those who lost their lives in WWI and WWII.
At the entrance on Chase Road to the north a small garden was created c.2001 on the site of a former cemetery building. Designed and laid out by LB Ealing Parks contractors, this circular garden has a rustic timber fence/railings, a stone planter centrally placed, surrounded with brick paving, and a variety of planting with some seats. The cemetery is now closed to new burials, and only used for burials in re-opened family owned graves. At the entrance are ornamental beds either side of the drive to the chapel, and trees and shrubs are along front railing.
The cemetery has a basic layout of paths, and is now hemmed in by industrial development. There is little mature planting, some lime, holly, yew, horse chestnut, Leylandia among other species mainly in the south section, with less in the north section. It is bounded by utilitarian C20th railings to Park Royal Road. Among those buried here are various civic dignitaries and others, including Albert Perry, a passenger on the SS Lusitania, which went down in 1915 due to a German submarine torpedo, whose memorial is a granite cross rising from a life belt; and George Temple, the first British airman to fly upside down, who was killed at Hendon Aerodrome in 1914. A Cross of Sacrifice was erected by the Imperial War Graves Commission to honour those who lost their lives in WWI and WWII.
At the entrance on Chase Road to the north a small garden was created c.2001 on the site of a former cemetery building. Designed and laid out by LB Ealing Parks contractors, this circular garden has a rustic timber fence/railings, a stone planter centrally placed, surrounded with brick paving, and a variety of planting with some seats. The cemetery is now closed to new burials, and only used for burials in re-opened family owned graves. At the entrance are ornamental beds either side of the drive to the chapel, and trees and shrubs are along front railing.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ205819 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 6.68 |
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Site Management | Cemeteries Office |
| Dates | 1895 |
| Designers | Daniel Ebbetts, Borough Surveyor (chapels) |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Ealing |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
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