Queen's Road Cemetery

Queen's Road Cemetery is a Victorian municipal cemetery in Croydon, south London. It has been in use since 1861 and is one of the oldest burial grounds in this part of the capital. Today it is a quiet, green corner of the borough that keeps much of its nineteenth-century layout, chapels and gateway.

How did Queen's Road Cemetery come about?

In March 1859 the Croydon Local Board of Health took on the role of a Burial Board. Burial space was running short, and closing the churchyard of St John the Baptist had been proposed. The Home Secretary approved the purchase of about 22 acres of land for a new cemetery. It opened in 1861, and its layout dates from 1863. The first person buried here was Thomas Garniss, a member of the Croydon Board of Guardians.

A larger cemetery, Croydon Cemetery on Mitcham Road, followed in 1897. Both are now managed by the London Borough of Croydon.

What is there to see?

Much of the original 1863 plan survives. The main axis is a central walk planted with cedars, holly and yew. Among the buildings and structures, look out for:

• a pair of linked cemetery chapels,
• the former lodge,
• stone gate piers and railings along Queen's Road.

The cemetery holds around 50,000 graves, and roughly 97,000 burials have taken place since it opened, because many graves contain more than one person.

Who is buried here?

The best-known name is Admiral Sir Stephen Lushington, a Crimean War veteran and governor of Greenwich Hospital. There are also graves belonging to Catholic religious orders, and a section known as "Surrey Street" where local street traders were buried. It is a small reminder of everyday life in Croydon, a historic market town.

War graves

The cemetery contains 181 Commonwealth war graves: 143 from the First World War and 38 from the Second. For visitors interested in remembrance, it is a notable site in south London.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Queen's Road Cemetery? In Croydon, in the south of Greater London, on Queen's Road.

When did it open? In 1861, with the current layout of paths dating from 1863.

Is it the only large cemetery in Croydon? No. The larger Croydon Cemetery on Mitcham Road opened in 1897. Both are run by the same borough.

Can I see soldiers' graves? Yes, there are 181 war graves from the two world wars.

Who will enjoy a visit? People interested in local history, Victorian architecture and quiet walks among mature trees. Normal cemetery etiquette applies: keep noise down and respect the graves.