Description
Greenford Park Cemetery was opened as a private cemetery, later taken over by Greenford Council. It was laid out on former farmland on the west side of Brent Valley, with a grid of paths leading to a small chapel in the centre. It was declared open for interments 'at exceptionally low charges' in January 1902; in 1905 it was agreed that Hanwell parishioners could be buried there. The gravestones are set in mown grass, with some ornamental trees and shrubs as well as larger trees including horse chestnut, sycamore, Lombardy poplar and willow.
Practical Information
| Site location | Windmill Lane, Greenford |
|---|---|
| Postcode | UB6 9DU |
| What3Words | ///worry.panel.terms |
| 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. |
| Facilities | Toilets |
| Public Transport | Rail: Southall/Greenford then bus. Tube: Greenford then bus. Bus: 92, 282, E5. |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Greenford Park Cemetery is sited on the western side of Brent Valley, on land which was previously meadow and farmland; it is laid out with a grid of paths leading to a small picturesque brick chapel in the centre. The cemetery was initially opened as a private cemetery, later taken over by Greenford Council. It was declared open for interments 'at exceptionally low charges' in January 1902; in 1905 it was agreed that Hanwell parishioners could be buried there. Hanwell's Burial Board had formed in 1881 and initially used the two private cemeteries on the north and south sides of Uxbridge Road, Hanwell Cemetery (Westminster) and Kensington Hanwell Cemetery (q.q.v.). In 1895 Hanwell UDC was set up and took over responsibility for burial from the Burial Board, and it was decided that making use of the Hanwell Cemeteries was impractical, hence the agreement to use Greenford Park Cemetery. Hanwell, Greenford and Perivale were all absorbed into Ealing Borough Council in 1926.
The generally modest gravestones are set in mown grass, with some ornamental trees and shrubs as well as larger horse chestnut, sycamore, Lombardy poplar and willow. New landscaping has been undertaken in c.2001 by the Council's Parks contractors which include a new garden of rest on the site of former cemetery buildings near the entrance, fenced on 2 sides and having a central lawn surrounded by a path with seating, small timber pergolas, and palms and other planting. Adjacent to this garden is a further area of new landscaping next to a modern brick building on the wall of which is mounted a lion bird bath (?) and trellising. Further east of this off the main drive is a further area of new landscaping in the cemetery's children's section which has timber rustic railing, flower beds and a circular raised pond surrounded with flowers and a central sculpture of dolphin.
The generally modest gravestones are set in mown grass, with some ornamental trees and shrubs as well as larger horse chestnut, sycamore, Lombardy poplar and willow. New landscaping has been undertaken in c.2001 by the Council's Parks contractors which include a new garden of rest on the site of former cemetery buildings near the entrance, fenced on 2 sides and having a central lawn surrounded by a path with seating, small timber pergolas, and palms and other planting. Adjacent to this garden is a further area of new landscaping next to a modern brick building on the wall of which is mounted a lion bird bath (?) and trellising. Further east of this off the main drive is a further area of new landscaping in the cemetery's children's section which has timber rustic railing, flower beds and a circular raised pond surrounded with flowers and a central sculpture of dolphin.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ141815 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 13.46 |
| Site Ownership | LB Ealing |
| Site Management | Cemeteries Office |
| Dates | 1901 |
| 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 - ? Boro Importance I |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Within Brent River Park Boundary |
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
In 1935 Ealing Council purchased a site of over 12 acres of former farmland to create Jubilee Park and Jubilee Gardens, named for King George V's Silver Jubilee. The smaller area for Jubilee Gardens included an Arts and Crafts style Branch Library and Welfare Centre, with pleasure gardens having a lodge and WC, trees, flower beds and a shelter. The remaining area was laid out as a recreation ground with playground, provision for sport, paths, two shelters and tree planting. A pair of large black Italian poplar trees in the park pre-date the municipal layout.
Ravenor Park is named after the Ravenor family who had long been associated with the Greenford area. George Ravenor had Ravenor Farm in 1899, and Ravenor House, now demolished, was one of the grand houses on Oldfield Lane. The cowshed barn adjacent to the park are all that remain from the farm. The park is on the site of Coston's Farm, named after Simon Coston who was a local benefactor in the C17th, and an old hedgerow remains from the former landscape as does a line of mature oaks that used to mark the farm boundaries. Speculative building accelerated in the 1920s and local councils were keen to preserve some land as public open space. Ealing Borough Council consequently purchased Coston's Farm in 1928 for the public park.
Hanwell is mentioned in the Domesday Book as an independent manor although it became a subsidiary of Greenford. First mention of a Christian church at Hanwell occurs in 958 AD and in the C12th a small thatched church was built, later rebuilt in 1781/2. The village consisted of only a few houses along Church Road until the late 1830s but in 1841 a larger parish church was needed for the growing population and the current church was built. The walled churchyard overlooks the Brent Valley and is part of the rural landscape of Brent Lodge Park, once owned by Hanwell Rector G H Glasse; the church lych gate is now the entrance to the park. Among the monuments in the churchyard are box tombs, a monument to Glasse's wife and daughter, and one gravestone dated 1707 by the west door.