Description
Mortlake Crematorium was the first joint crematorium to be be established under its own Act of Parliament in 1936. The Crematorium was built at a cost of £27,000 to the north of Mortlake Cemetery and was opened by Lord Horder in January 1939. The large, austere and rather sprawling brick crematorium building has a wide sweep of drive in front, with a number of beds of ornamental planting within a circular lawn. Behind there are colonnades and a rose garden, with further formal gardens beyond this with lawns and a central open pavilion. A path runs around the edge of this garden area, with brick balustrading and short flights of steps at two of the corners and backing onto the hedge that separates it from the cemetery. Throughout the grounds are various ornamental trees and shrubs.
Practical Information
| Site location | Kew Meadow Path, and via Mortlake Cemetery |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW9 4EN |
| What3Words | ///shelf.tiles.badge |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 9am - 4pm (November-January); 9am - 5pm (February/October); 9am - 6pm (March/September and April-August weekends); 9am - 7pm (April-August weekdays) |
| Public Transport | Tube: Kew Gardens (District). Rail: Mortlake. Bus: R68, 190 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ199764 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.24 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hammersmith & Fulham, LB Ealing, LB Hounslow, LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Mortlake Crematorium Board |
| Dates | 1939 |
| Designers | F Douglas Barton, Hammersmith Borough Engineer |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Mortlake Cemetery was built to provide for Hammersmith burials when the old cemetery on Margravine Road was full. It was originally designed on a grander scale but the funds ran out and only one small Gothic brick chapel was built, although the original planting had great variety and there are numerous trees in the cemetery. In 1939 Mortlake Crematorium was built to the north of Mortlake Cemetery.
The two adjoining Bowling Greens of the former Watney's Brewery were part of the sports facilities provided by Watneys Social Club for their workers from 1919. The Social Club closed in 2000 and the Greens became unused from then. The significance of the site lies in the mid-C17th gate piers and gates of Old Cromwell House at the entrance to the greens, which had been moved from their original site in 1961/2. In 2010 planning permission was granted for a 76-home development on the old bowling green site, due for completion summer 2011.
North Sheen Cemetery was opened in 1909 to provide for Fulham burials when the old cemetery on Fulham Palace Road was full, hence its occasional name as Fulham New Cemetery. The cemetery was laid out with a grid layout of paths and initially had a temporary chapel, which was replaced by a small red brick chapel in 1931. Near this is the memorial garden to both world wars. The original boundary railings and its stone gate piers and ornamental gates at the main entrance on Lower Richmond Road.