Description
From 1782 Holly Road Burial Ground served the parish of St Mary, Twickenham but was full by 1835 at which point Oak Lane Cemetery was opened. It was officially closed in 1868 although some burials in family graves continued until c.1875. In 1930 196 monuments and tombstones naming 450 people could be read, but there were probably many more burials than this. In 1953 the burial ground was laid out as a public garden and called Holly Road Garden of Rest. It was later restored and replanted in 1991.
Practical Information
| Site location | Holly Road, Twickenham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW1 4EU |
| What3Words | ///actors.cheeks.leaned |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Mon - Sat: 7.30am - dusk/Sun & Bank Hols: 9am - dusk |
| Facilities | Play areas |
| Public Transport | Rail: Twickenham. Bus: 267, 281, 290, 490, R68, R70 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Among those buried are Robert Burt (d.1791), Vicar of Twickenham who married Mrs Fitzherbert and the Prince of Wales in 1785; Thomas Twining (d.1861), founder of Twining's Tea, and other members of the Twining family; William, 5th Viscount Howe, a professional soldier who served with distinction in America at the siege of Louisburg and the capture of Quebec in 1759 and was Commander-in-Chief of the British Army during the first part of the American War of Independence. He became MP for Nottingham from 1758-1780, Governor of Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1795 and from 1805 until his death in 1814 was Governor of Plymouth. His wife Frances is also buried here, the daughter of Lady Anne Connolly of Twickenham.
Holly Road Garden of Rest has iron railings and hedges on two sides, the other two boundaries being high brick walls, along which gravestones are lined. A number of chest tombs remain in the garden, which has grass, paths and seating and a railed children's playground. There are numerous shrubs including yew, holly and some fine trees including two Pride of India. The main entrance has brick piers surmounted with stone balls, and a plaque records the history of the burial ground.
Holly Road Garden of Rest has iron railings and hedges on two sides, the other two boundaries being high brick walls, along which gravestones are lined. A number of chest tombs remain in the garden, which has grass, paths and seating and a railed children's playground. There are numerous shrubs including yew, holly and some fine trees including two Pride of India. The main entrance has brick piers surmounted with stone balls, and a plaque records the history of the burial ground.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ161732 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.1963 |
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Environment Planning & Review, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1782; 1953 |
| 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 | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Queen's Road (Twickenham) |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Open Land of Townscape Importance |
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
Diamond Jubilee Gardens is a new public garden created on part of the former site of Twickenham Swimming Pool, which opened in 1935 in commemoration of the Jubilee of George V. The public swimming pool closed for repairs in 1981 but did not re-open and the site became derelict. Part of the land opened in 2005 as a public open space. Following public consultation the new riverside garden was created in 2012, renamed in commemoration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee; a black poplar was planted by HRH Princess Alexandra on 23 June 2012. The design of the garden recalls the former use with swimming lanes demarcated in the grass of the main lawn.
The Art Deco Thames Eyot flats were built in 1935 on the site of Poulett Lodge, an C18th mansion that replaced an earlier house of c.1701 that burnt down in 1734. It is named after the 3rd Earl Poulett who inherited the property in 1774. From the early C18th there were fine riverside gardens here. By 1842 the estate included parkland on the west side of Cross Deep that became a nursery in the late C19th, but was developed in 1926 as a crescent of private houses. Poulett Lodge was demolished in 1933 when the Thames Eyot flats were built but the former coach house and stables survive. The main ornamental feature is the riverside lawn with its 160m river frontage and long stone balustrade, at the south end of which is a possibly C18th stone loggia, at the west end of which a small square grotto with a barrel vaulted roof decorated with shell work and blue slag. At the north end is a C19th boathouse, with wet dock.
Twickenham was a medieval village around the parish church, and the first settlement here was probably opposite Eel Pie Island, later a favourite place for boating excursions. The old medieval parish church became neglected and the nave had collapsed by the time the current church was built in the early C18th. The church and churchyard are well above the level of the river, thereby protected from the high floods that continue to take place. The churchyard was extended over the years and has some fine tombs among grass with paths running through it and a number of mature trees, including yew.