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Woolwich Cemetery (Old and New)

Introduction

Woolwich Cemetery is in two parts, the westerly Old Cemetery and the easterly New Cemetery, divided by Rockliffe Gardens. The hillside site of the Old Cemetery was formerly part of Plumstead Common, and has a number of large mature trees, including Cedars, Scots pine, limes, Corsican pines and copper beech. The cemetery was walled and railed and its original Early English style brick Anglican chapel remains on the brow of the hill but the non-denominational chapel has been demolished. Many gravestones were cleared from the old cemetery, and the east site for the New Cemetery was bought in 1885 and is still in use.

Woolwich Cemetery is in two parts, the Old Cemetery to the west and the New Cemetery to the east. The west part was laid out by Woolwich Burial Board in 1856 on land that was once part of Plumstead Common. The walled and railed cemetery retains one of the original chapels and has a number of fine mature trees. Although some gravestones have been cleared, among the memorials is that to victims of the Princes Alice disaster of 1878. The east site for the New Cemetery was purchased in 1885 and is still in use. It contains graves of those who died in explosions at Royal Arsenal as well as the War Memorial and a number of War Graves.

Sources consulted:

Hugh Meller & Brian Parsons, 'London Cemeteries, An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer', 4th edition (The History Press, 2008); Ben Weinreb & Christopher Hibbert, 'The London Encyclopaedia' (Macmillan, revised ed. 1993); LB Greenwich website

For more information see http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=GRN070

Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts

Access contact details

Daily: April-Sept 9am-7pm; October-March 9am-4pm

Directions

Rail: Welling then bus. Bus: 51

Owners

LB Greenwich

History

Period

  • Post Medieval (1540 to 1901)
  • Victorian (1837-1901)
Key Information

Type

Funerary Site

Purpose

Sacred / Ritual / Funerary

Principal Building

Religious Ritual And Funerary

Period

Post Medieval (1540 to 1901)

Survival

Extant

Hectares

13.12

Open to the public

Yes

References

Contributors

  • London Parks and Gardens Trust