Description
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.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Fulham New Cemetery |
|---|---|
| Site location | Mortlake Road/Lower Richmond Road |
| Postcode | TW9 4LL |
| What3Words | ///mass.park.nobody |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | opens Mon-Sat 9am; Sun/Good Fri 10am; closes 4pm (Nov - Jan); 5pm (Oct/Feb); 6pm (Mar/Sep); 7pm (Aug/Apr); 8pm (May - Jul). Xmas Day 10am-3pm |
| Facilities | Toilet |
| Public Transport | Rail: North Sheen, Mortlake. Rail/London Overground/Tube (District): Kew Gardens. Bus: 190, 419 |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hugh Meller referred to the 'bulbous stone piers' around the perimeter as the best feature of the cemetery that were in 'the cinema moderne style of the 1920s'. The red brick chapel was designed by Arthur Holden, Fulham Borough Engineer, and opened in 1931. Following damage in WWII, new colourful stained glass showing scenes from the New Testament was installed in the chapel, the work of Antoine Acket. Near this is the memorial garden to both world wars with conifers and rose beds, backed by a stone wall and seating, and a garden with a broken circle of brick piers linked at the top by timber and with trimmed hedge in front. There is aromatic planting at the entrance on the north with several eucalyptus trees and conifers are planted along the boundary railings. Among those buried here is Morgan Phillips, General Secretary of the Labour Party (d.1963); in the Roman Catholic section are numerous graves of Polish people including Alexandra Pilsudska (1867-1963), widow of the Polish statesman Joseph Pilsudski.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ196758 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Hammersmith & Fulham |
| Site Management | Environment Department, Cemeteries and Facilities Office |
| Dates | 1909 |
| 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 |
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
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.
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.
Originally part of an orchard on the Popham Estate, the site was first opened as a public recreation ground in June 1909 and was further extended in 1923. In December 1963 it was renamed North Sheen Park but has since reverted to being called North Sheen Recreation Ground. In 1995 London Welsh Amateur Football Club, which had been founded c.1890, made its home here.
