St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green

St Mary's Catholic Cemetery is located at Kensal Green in London, England, and has its own Catholic Chapel. Its official website was updated in 2019.

St Mary's Catholic Cemetery
St Mary's Cemetery
Details
Established1858
Location
Kensal Green, London, England, UK
CountryEngland
TypeRoman Catholic
Size29 acres (12 ha)
No. of graves165,000
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Established in 1858, the 29-acre (120,000 m2) site was built next door to Kensal Green Cemetery. It is the final resting place for more than 165,000 individuals of the Roman Catholic faith, and features a memorial to Belgian soldiers of the First World War, wounded in combat and evacuated to England, where they died in hospital.

There is also a War Memorial, in the form of a Cross of Sacrifice to the British, Irish, French and Canadian servicemen. It is surrounded by a Screen Wall memorial and a low kerb listing Commonwealth service personnel of both World Wars whose graves in the cemetery could not be marked by headstones. In all, the cemetery contains 208 graves of Commonwealth service personnel of the First World War, and 107 graves of the Second World War. There are also many foreign nationality war graves that include, from First World War, 77 Belgians and six Germans, and from the Second, eight Czechoslovakian and six Polish war graves.[1]

Many Irish migrants who came to England during the Great Famine are buried here.[2]

Notable interments

The chapel

  • The cemetery's Catholic chapel is used for funeral and memorial services. The walls have many memorial plaques.
  • The chapel was used in the filming of Miranda episode "Before I Die".
  • The chapel has one of two working coffin lifts in England, the other is in the Anglican Chapel of Kensal Green Cemetery. The coffin lift is used to lower coffins from the chapel into the lower catacombs which are located directly underneath the chapel.[4]

Access

The cemetery is open for visitors 365 days per year Monday – Saturday: 8am to 4pm (5pm April – October) Sunday: 9am to 4pm (5pm April – October)

Christmas Day & Boxing Day: 9am – 1pm

The cemetery office

All enquires should be directed to the Superintendent. Office hours: Monday – Friday: 9am – 3:30pm (4:30pm April – October). Visitors, especially those interested in their Catholic family history, may request the office staff consult the recently computerised records for all interments in St Mary's Catholic Cemetery (from 1858 to date).

References

  1. CWGC Cemetery Report Breakdown of foreign war graves from casualty record.
  2. "Kensal Green". British History Online. English Heritage. St Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Harrow Road. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  3. CWGC Casualty record, John Steven Cowans
  4. "St Mary's Cemetery Chapel - St Mary's Catholic Cemetery". sites.google.com. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
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