Description
Woodgrange Park Cemetery was established in 1889 by the Tottenham Park Cemetery Company, and has remained in private ownership. Its red brick Gothic chapel is now derelict. Despite the opposition of the Friends of Woodgrange Park Cemetery, a group set up in 1980 to protect and preserve the cemetery, the eastern part was sold off for a private housing development by Badgehurst Ltd, although an Act of Parliament required a sum to be re-invested in the cemetery. Within the cemetery are 187 Commonwealth War Graves for those who died in both world wars.
Practical Information
| Site location | Romford Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E7 |
| What3Words | ///tribune.island.logs |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Newham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - 8pm (summer); 8am - 4pm (winter) |
| Public Transport | Tube: East Ham (Hammersmith & City, District). London Overground: Woodgrange Park. Bus: 86 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
From the C12th Woodgrange was part of Stratford Abbey lands. Previously a rural area, one of the first housing estates in the area, the Woodgrange Estate, was built by Thomas Corbett & Son between 1877 and 1892, providing over 1,100 dwellings on the 44.5-hectare site of Woodgrange Farm. A. Cameron Corbett was a Glasgow MP and developer, who was responsible for much development in nearby Ilford and later became Lord Rowallan. Woodgrange Park Cemetery was established in 1889 by the Tottenham Park Cemetery Company; the red brick Gothic chapel has stone detailing but is now derelict. Despite the opposition of the Friends of Woodgrange Park Cemetery, a group set up in 1980 to protect and preserve the cemetery and oppose plans for housing and other development, the eastern part has since been sold off for a private housing development by Badgehurst Ltd. Planning permission for residential development was given on approximately 1.29 hectares at the east end, leaving approximately 6.9 hectares of the cemetery. The planning permission and a private Woodgrange Park Cemetery Act 1993 required £900,000 from purchase of the land to be reinvested in the cemetery, £500,000 for a trust fund to finance future maintenance works and £400,000 to be spent on immediate improvements. In the process of site clearance numerous graves were disturbed and tombs removed, but remains have now been interred in another area of the cemetery, now known as the Memorial Garden of Remembrance.
Although the cemetery is badly neglected and its path structure partly obliterated, it contains numerous mature trees, including lime, plane, ash, oak, sycamore, Lombardy and hybrid black poplar. According to the London Ecology Unit's survey in 1991, it is a haven for wildlife, at that time having 32 species of birds breeding, as well as amphibians and reptiles, some uncommon for London. Some tombs are found among long grass and scrub, and there are also areas with graves among grass. Among those buried here are Frederick Charrington (d.1936), paradoxically not only one of the famous brewing family but also dubbed 'The Great Temperance Advocate'; Charles Mare (d.1898) the ship and bridge builder who founded Thames Ironworks, Shipbuilding and Engineering Company near Thames Wharf. Five Iranian terrorists shot during the Iranian Embassy siege of 1980 are buried in an unmarked grave.
Near the chapel the Muslim Patel Burial Trust acquired a private burial area, which is fenced off from the main cemetery behind green-painted railings and gates.
Although the cemetery is badly neglected and its path structure partly obliterated, it contains numerous mature trees, including lime, plane, ash, oak, sycamore, Lombardy and hybrid black poplar. According to the London Ecology Unit's survey in 1991, it is a haven for wildlife, at that time having 32 species of birds breeding, as well as amphibians and reptiles, some uncommon for London. Some tombs are found among long grass and scrub, and there are also areas with graves among grass. Among those buried here are Frederick Charrington (d.1936), paradoxically not only one of the famous brewing family but also dubbed 'The Great Temperance Advocate'; Charles Mare (d.1898) the ship and bridge builder who founded Thames Ironworks, Shipbuilding and Engineering Company near Thames Wharf. Five Iranian terrorists shot during the Iranian Embassy siege of 1980 are buried in an unmarked grave.
Near the chapel the Muslim Patel Burial Trust acquired a private burial area, which is fenced off from the main cemetery behind green-painted railings and gates.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ417851 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 6.9 |
| Site Ownership | Badgehurst Ltd |
| Site Management | (Friends of Woodgrange Park Cemetery?) |
| Dates | 1889 |
| Listed Structures | The cemetery is surrounded by listed buildings (LBII) dating from the mid C19. |
| 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 | Newham |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance I |
| 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
Plashet Jewish Cemetery was opened by the United Synagogue Company in 1896 on a rectangular site, simply laid out on a grid pattern. Originally there was a central prayer hall, which was demolished following bomb damage, but a small brick building is sited just inside the main entrance. The tombstones are generally in straight rows and surrounded by gravel, and while most are simple, among them are monuments topped with columns and urns, and a few family plots set with balustrades. The cemetery was known as the Trade Unionists Cemetery and past secretaries of the Cigars Union and Costermongers Union are buried here.
Manor Park Cemetery was opened in 1874 by the Manor Park Cemetery Company on the eastern part of what had been Hamfrith Farm, previously owned by John Gurney. The cemetery today has two areas of woodland, the largest in its north-east corner, and many woodland birds are found here. There are rows of mature lime trees along the boundaries and an avenue of horse chestnuts follows the old path through the middle, with other trees scattered throughout, including cedar and other evergreens, conifers. The original chapel, built in 1877, was largely destroyed by bombing in 1944 apart from its spire, which still remains and was rebuilt in brick with a crematorium added to its east end in 1955. The cemetery has a war memorial, crematorium remembrance area, together with an extensive Garden of Remembrance.
Plashet Park was first opened in 1891, from land that was taken from the former grounds of late 18th Century manor, Wood House. The layout of the 7.57 hectare site has largely remained how it was during the Victorian era, although some features, including its bandstand and drinking fountains, have now gone. New facilities were added over the years, and the plant nursery and green houses later became Plashet Zoo where birds were first kept in 1964, but that has subsequently closed too. The park still includes a Bowling Green, Cafe and various sporting facilities. The Grade II listed Passmore Edwards Library was opened in 1899 adjacent to the south east corner entrance of the park and although no longer a library has various community uses.
