Description
London Road Cemetery is the oldest of Bromley's cemeteries and opened in 1877, laid out by architect George Truefitt, whose two ragstone chapels connected by a porte-cochère and a mortuary remain, although his lodge has since been rebuilt. The layout has cruciform drives with a central circular area, and the planting includes Cedars, Scots pine and other conifers with later flowering 'cemetery trees'.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Beckenham Cemetery |
|---|---|
| Site location | Warner Road, Bromley |
| Postcode | BR1 3RR |
| What3Words | ///blaze.boat.holly |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Daily 10am-4pm (October-March)/ 10am-7pm (April-September) |
| Facilities | Toilets |
| Public Transport | Rail: Bromley North then bus. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
London Road Cemetery is the oldest of Bromley's cemeteries and opened in 1877, laid out by architect George Truefitt, who won the competition for its design and whose Gothic style buildings remain largely intact. These comprise two ragstone chapels connected by a porte-cochère and a mortuary, although his lodge has since been rebuilt. The cemetery retains its decorative iron gates although some of the boundary railings have since gone. The layout has cruciform drives with a central circular area, and the planting includes Cedars, Scots pine and other conifers with later flowering 'cemetery trees'. There is a fine granite column commemorating William Digby (d.1901), a notable sarcophagus to the Johnson family and marble railed memorial to the Tweedy family. Among notable people buried here are Major General Henry Babbage (1825-1918), whose father was Charles Babbage (1791-1871), the pioneer who designed - but failed to build - the first automatic computing engines in the 1820s; Sir Edward Scott (d.1883), banker and Sheriff of Kent in 1878; Sir Ralph Forster (d.1930), Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey; and Horace, Earl Farquhar (d.1923), Master of Edward VII's Household and Lord Steward from 1915-22. The cemetery is now full.
Bromley's cemeteries have been managed on behalf of Bromley Council by idverde UK since 2008. In June 2015 idverde was contracted by Bromley Council for the management of the borough's parks, green spaces and countryside service, a relationship that was extended in April 2019 for a further 16 years.
Bromley's cemeteries have been managed on behalf of Bromley Council by idverde UK since 2008. In June 2015 idverde was contracted by Bromley Council for the management of the borough's parks, green spaces and countryside service, a relationship that was extended in April 2019 for a further 16 years.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ398701 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.944 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | Cemeteries Office (maintenance contracted to idverde) |
| Dates | 1877 |
| Designers | George Truefitt |
| 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 | Bromley |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| 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.
Nearby parks and gardens
Until the 1860s, the Plaistow area was rural, with three large houses to the north. Development began after the arrival of the railway and the need for a church arose to serve the population north of Bromley. A square site was procured in 1861 and a simple Chapel of Ease was built, consecrated in 1863; the church was enlarged in 1881-1900. A church primary school was built to the west, and a vicarage to the south. The churchyard, closed for burials in 1893, has gravestones mainly in the south and east, with a Garden of Remembrance to the west. The original eastern boundary was moved back in 1931 when the road was widened.
Bromley Hill Cemetery opened in 1907. The chapel and mortuary chapel were designed by Evelyn Hellicar, a local architect. The lodge is now gone, replaced by a modern house. The cemetery has a simple path layout, and among the trees are cedar, fir and silver birch. The monument to Edward Fuller (d.1935) is unusual, a besuited figure over whom an angel stands. Among those buried here were Sir Edward Campbell (d.1945), MP for Bromley; Soho gang leader 'Italian Albert' Dimes (d.1972), and Roy Marchand (d.1940), a Battle of Britain pilot whose photograph was used on RAF recruitment posters. The cemetery, now full, has a lawn section and a memorial garden. It is located within the boundaries of the Borough of Lewisham.
Bromley College almshouses were founded under the will of Dr John Warner, Bishop of Rochester (d.1666) to provide a 'hospital or almshouses for twenty poor widows of orthodox and loyal clergy men in a position near to Rochester cathedral'. The almshouses were built in 1670-72 around a quadrangle; a long frontage faced the road, with slightly bigger dwellings forming 2 wings. A second quadrangle was completed in 1805 and Sheppard's College added in 1840. After 1821 the Chaplain and Trustees bought land to the east to prevent building and improvements were made in the grounds. Elms on the north and south lawn were removed along with the rookery and replaced with 4 great cedars; sale of the wood enabled grass plots and gravel walks to be laid out. Over the years commemorative trees have been planted, such as those to mark the Jubilee of King George V in 1935, and a Tree of Heaven planted by The Queen Mother in the Chaplain’s Garden in May 1977 for a rededication ceremony.