Description
Land for a new cemetery was granted by Queen Victoria in 1838 when both the churchyard of Twickenham Parish Church of St Mary and its supplementary burial ground at Holly Road, now Holly Road Garden of Rest, were full. However, the new Oak Lane Cemetery itself filled up quickly due to the rapidly expanding population largely due to the coming of the railway to Twickenham; the last burial here was in 1955 and the cemetery was officially closed. Friends of Oak Lane Cemetery was set up and raised funds enabling them to restore paths and provide an information plaque in 2001. Surrounded by housing, the small cemetery is nevertheless a haven for wildlife.
Practical Information
| Site location | Oak Lane, Twickenham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW1 |
| What3Words | ///shuts.shots.flesh |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Mon - Sat: 7.30am - dusk/Sun & Bank Hols: 9am - dusk |
| Public Transport | Rail: Twickenham. Bus: R70, R68, H22, 290, 490, 33. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Among those buried at Oak Lane Cemetery are contemporaries of Nelson and Wellington, as well as the Master of Trinity House and the last Beadle of the Parish, and there are war graves for those who died in WWI. The small cemetery has brick walls and railings either side of the entrance gate onto Oak Lane, just inside of which is a stone plaque referring to Queen Victoria's donation of land. The cemetery is generally separated from the housing by brick walls; it has a simple layout consisting of a central path that has been restored with one side path, and the tombs are set among grass. In places overgrown, there are numerous trees, including conifers, with some new trees planted near the entrance as part of the restoration work.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ163735 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.6119 |
| Site Ownership | Diocese of London and Parish of St Mary the Virgin, Twickenham |
| Site Management | LB Richmond: Environment Planning and Review, Parks and Open Spaces; Friends of Oak Lane Cemetery |
| Dates | 1838 |
| 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 | CA |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| 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
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.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
The Manor of York was the property of the Crown from Henry VIII's reign and the land leased out from the mid C17th-mid C19th. York House was built in the C17th and by 1661 was one of the largest houses in Twickenham. Over the years it had various illustrious tenants. For a time part of its grounds were detached, but it was reassembled by James Whitchurch in 1746 since when the boundaries have remained virtually unchanged. By early C19th the grounds included a paddock, formal kitchen garden, lawn with gravelled terrace walk, an elm grove with serpentine walks, a small formal garden and many additional buildings and outhouses. When Indian industrialist Sir Ratan Tata bought the house in 1906 he substantially altered the gardens, including a sunken garden near the house and, near the river, a hedged formal garden with a substantial fountain of large female figures, and a Japanese garden. In 1924 York House was acquired by Twickenham UDC and converted for council use, the gardens becoming public open space in perpetuity.
The Manor of York was the property of the Crown from Henry VIII's reign and the land leased out from the mid C17th-mid C19th. York House was built in the C17th and by 1661 was one of the largest houses in Twickenham. Over the years it had various illustrious tenants. For a time part of its grounds were detached, but it was reassembled by James Whitchurch in 1746 since when the boundaries have remained virtually unchanged. By early C19th the grounds included a paddock, formal kitchen garden, lawn with gravelled terrace walk, an elm grove with serpentine walks, a small formal garden and many additional buildings and outhouses. When Indian industrialist Sir Ratan Tata bought the house in 1906 he substantially altered the gardens, including a sunken garden near the house and, near the river, a hedged formal garden with a substantial fountain of large female figures, and a Japanese garden. In 1924 York House was acquired by Twickenham UDC and converted for council use, the gardens becoming public open space in perpetuity.
Champions Wharf consists of a largely paved terrace with balustrade overlooking the river, with raised beds planted with heathers and shrubs. For a time it was laid out as a small sculpture court and known as Champions Wharf Sculpture Park, displaying abstract sculptures by Guy Rushworth-Harden and Mike Jensen, who were based at Eel Pie Island Boatyard. The garden was re-designed post 2015 and now reflects the proximity of Alexander Pope's villa, with a recreation of Pope's Urn and inscriptions with his quotations on benches. Adjacent to the garden is Champions Wharf Play Beach, laid out in 2013 with play features including a Viking Boat, a Wherry or Victorian Water Taxi and archaeological dig items from Twickenham Museum.
