West Ham Cemetery - London, UK
Posted by: 
OrientGeo
N 51° 33.100 E 000° 00.929
31U E 293091 N 5715397
A 22 acre, active cemetery in the Forest Gate area of east London.
Waymark Code: WM13T51
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/14/2021
Views: 1
This cemetery opened in 1857 in the north east corner of West Ham Parish and was extended in 1871. It remains in use today. It is 22 acres in extent and is separated from West Ham Jewish Cemetery by a low brick wall. West Ham Cemetery was one of the first publicly-owned cemeteries to open in London following the Metropolitan Burials Act of 1852 which closed many of the small, overcrowded burial grounds in inner London. The land had been purchased from prominent local landowner Samuel Gurney, who is himself commemorated by an obelisk in nearby Stratford town centre.
The cemetery is open to visitors throughout the year; the hours vary between weekdays and weekends and opening times are longer in the summer months. The Jewish part of the cemetery is usually closed however and special permission needs to be obtained for a visit. The coordinates given are for the sole entry to the complex, which is on Cemetery Road, E7.
At least 180,000 burials have been recorded for this cemetery. This figure includes more than 200 Commonwealth War Graves. There are not really any grand or overblown memorials here, nor is it home to the remains of anyone particularly famous; mostly just ordinary people who lived in this part of London. A War Memorial is to be found in the northern part of the cemetery. There were formerly two chapels, only one of which survives. It is a small, ragstone building designed by T E Knightly. There is also a mock Tudor lodge at the entrance gates.
The cemetery is surrounded by residential properties. The area is almost entirely grassed, with a relatively small number of mature trees.
City, Town, or Parish / State / Country: London, England
Approximate number of graves: 180,000 burial records
Cemetery Status: Active
Cemetery Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Post an original, un-copywrited picture of the Cemetery into this Waymark gallery, along with any observations about the cemetery.