Brady Street Cemetery, Whitechapel

Brady Street Jewish Cemetery in London is a disused burial ground in Whitechapel, in the heart of the East End. Closed to new burials since the mid-19th century, it is among the oldest surviving Jewish cemeteries in this part of the city and a quiet record of the history of London's Ashkenazi community.

Where is it and how do you spot it?

The cemetery lies on Brady Street in Whitechapel, just east of the City. For centuries this district welcomed successive waves of immigrants, including many Jewish families. Today the site is surrounded by ordinary urban buildings and hidden behind a wall, so it is easy to walk past without realising what it is.

How did it begin?

The land was originally a brickfield beside Ducking Pond Lane. In 1761 it was leased by the New Synagogue congregation, which opened a burial ground here. The Great Synagogue later used it as well and bought the freehold in 1795. The street itself was once known as North Street.

Why do the headstones stand back to back?

By the 1790s the ground was filling up. The solution was to spread an extra layer of earth over the existing graves and bury further on top. Headstones on this upper level were placed back to back, an arrangement that is rarely seen. The upper section was also used for people who did not belong to a particular congregation, and was known as the Strangers Ground.

Who is buried here?

Burials include Chief Rabbi Solomon Hirschel, the banker Nathan Meyer Rothschild and the philanthropist Abraham Goldsmid. Miriam Levy, who opened a soup kitchen in Whitechapel, rests here too. These names show that wealthy financiers lay alongside people devoted to helping their poorer neighbours.

Can you go inside?

The cemetery no longer takes burials, the last having taken place in the 1850s. It is owned by the United Synagogue and is normally closed to visitors, with access sometimes possible by prior appointment. It is worth contacting the owners before you go. If that is not possible, you can still view the wall and gate from the street.

Frequently asked questions

Is the cemetery still in use? No. Burials stopped around 1857; sources give slightly different closing dates, one of them 1858.

Is entry free and open? No, it can be visited only by arrangement.

Why is it worth knowing about? It brings together the story of the Jewish East End, London banking fortunes and everyday charity, and it has a distinctive arrangement of headstones.

What else is nearby? Whitechapel and neighbouring Spitalfields have streets full of traces of the immigrant past, galleries, markets and former synagogues, so a visit here fits easily into a full day exploring the East End.