Bandon Hill Cemetery

Bandon Hill Cemetery is a municipal cemetery in Wallington, in south-west London. Opened in 1900, it is both a place of remembrance for casualties of the two World Wars and the resting place of the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. For visitors interested in London history away from the main sights, it is a quiet stop in a residential suburb.

Where is Bandon Hill Cemetery and who owns it?

The cemetery lies in Wallington, in the London Borough of Sutton. Its administrative history is unusual: it was founded in 1900 by the Croydon Rural District Council, yet the site sits within Sutton. When the London boroughs were formed in 1965, the Boroughs of Croydon and Sutton ran it jointly. Today both councils look after it.

How big is it?

The grounds cover roughly 14 to 15 acres, about 6 hectares, with around 14,000 grave spaces. The first burial took place in March 1900. The layout of paths and sections is typical of an early twentieth-century municipal cemetery: practical, without grand mausoleums.

Who is buried here?

The best-known burial is Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the English composer, interred in September 1912. His grave draws admirers of classical music.

The cemetery also holds Commonwealth service personnel. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) lists about 125 identified casualties from both World Wars, among them airmen of the Royal Flying Corps and the RAF. Fewer than half of the war graves date from the Second World War.

What is worth seeing?

• The Cross of Sacrifice – the standard CWGC memorial, placed in cemeteries with a significant number of war graves.
• The war graves – uniform CWGC headstones stand out among the private monuments.
• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's grave – a link to the history of British music.
• The oldest sections from 1900 – Victorian and Edwardian headstones show what a suburban London cemetery looked like.

Visiting tips

This is a working cemetery, so keep quiet and respect people visiting the graves of relatives. A visit is a walk along the paths, best suited to those who enjoy local and military history. Coordinates: 51.3651 N, 0.1347 W.

Frequently asked questions

Which London borough is Bandon Hill Cemetery in? Wallington, in the London Borough of Sutton, in the south-west of the city.

When was it founded? In 1900; the first burial took place in March of that year.

Who manages it? The Sutton and Croydon councils, which ran it jointly after 1965.

Is a famous person buried here? Yes, the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, buried in 1912.

Are there war graves? Yes, about 125 identified casualties from both World Wars, including RFC and RAF airmen, plus a Cross of Sacrifice.

How many grave spaces are there? Around 14,000 across roughly 15 acres.