Description
St Mary's Burial Ground was opened at a service on 6 May 1876, when more space was needed for the parish burials of St Mary's East Bedfont. The land was previously in agricultural use, known as Little Field. In 1935 adjacent land was conveyed to the local Burial Board for Bedfont Cemetery, which was consecrated in July 1941. St Mary's Burial Ground is much overgrown and wooded with mown paths cutting through the undergrowth, with a few tombs visible. The lych-gate was damaged in 1989 and replaced in 1990/2. The cemetery has tarmac paths and an avenue of lime trees along the path, with hawthorn hedging, some ornamental trees and a small brick shelter. It adjoins Bedfont Lakes Country Park.
Practical Information
| Site location | Bedfont Road, Feltham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW14 8BF |
| What3Words | ///armed.tower.rescue |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 9am - 4pm (Nov-Feb); - 5.30pm (Mar/Oct); - 7pm (Apr/May/Aug/Sept); - 8pm (Jun/July). Xmas Day 9am-2pm |
| Public Transport | Rail: Feltham then bus. Tube: Hatton Cross (Piccadilly) then bus. Bus H26. |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ083730 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.79 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hounslow |
| Site Management | Continental Landscapes Ltd |
| Dates | 1876; 1941 |
| 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 | Hounslow |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - SRB |
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.
Nearby parks and gardens
Bedfont was a small isolated hamlet dating back to medieval times, surrounded by Hounslow Heath. Bedfont Green fronts the medieval church of St Mary the Virgin and forms the setting of Burlington House, to the south of which there was once a pond. It was formerly more tree-covered, particularly with horse chestnuts but many were lost in the hurricanes of 1987. Fairgrounds used to be held here, particularly during Ascot Week as the route to the racetrack was through the village.
Bedfont is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 and St Mary's church dates from the C12th, with various later extensions to the building. Overlooking Bedfont Green, the church's small churchyard has a low brick wall at the front, with a higher wall to the rear. Either side of the path to the church door are two ancient yew trees, famous for their peacock topiary. They were originally created in 1704 and for centuries were the pride of the village, apparently created to shame two haughty spinsters of the parish. The practice of churchyard topiary, popular in the C18th, later lapsed, but the peacocks were later restored in 1990.
Although Bedfont Lakes Country Park opened as a new park in 1995, laid out on a former contaminated landfill site, in the 1890s the area was part of a large orchard that supplied Covent Garden. Part of the area was also used for gravel extraction from the 1860s until the 1950s. An oak tree was planted on 5 November 1996 near Motte Lake to the north of the park to commemorate it being handed over to LB Hounslow by Hanover Property Unit Trust and Rutland Management Ltd.