St Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green

St Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Kensal Green is a Catholic burial ground in west London, on Harrow Road beside the famous Kensal Green Cemetery. It opened for burials on 10 May 1858 as a place exclusively for Catholics. It is a quiet corner of Victorian sculpture, mausoleums and stories that guidebooks rarely tell.

Why a separate Catholic cemetery?

The neighbouring All Souls cemetery opened in 1832. Many Catholics were buried there, but it was felt that a cemetery for Catholics alone was needed. A site of about 29 acres was bought from the company running the adjacent cemetery, and the first burials took place in 1858. St Mary's and St Patrick's in Leytonstone are the only two fully Catholic cemeteries in London.

What is there to see?

The cemetery has its own chapel, which opened in 1860. Together with the lodge and the upper and lower catacombs, it was designed by Samuel Nicholl. Three mausoleums are Grade II listed, as is the Belgian war memorial.

That memorial honours Belgian soldiers of the First World War who were wounded, evacuated to England and died in hospital. A Cross of Sacrifice commemorates British, Irish, French, Czechoslovak and Canadian servicemen. The grounds hold 208 Commonwealth graves from the First World War and 107 from the Second.

Who is buried here?

Burials include the conductor Sir John Barbirolli and the Irish inventor Louis Brennan. Particularly intriguing are three spies: the German agent Josef Jakobs, the British agent Krystyna Skarbek (known as Christine Granville), and Andrzej Kowerski, an SOE agent in the Second World War. For Polish visitors, it is one of the most meaningful memorial sites in London. The cemetery office keeps a list of "persons of note" with short biographies.

Practical information

The cemetery is still active, with burials and ashes interments. A mass is held in the chapel every month. Sources give different totals for burials, from more than 165,000 to more than 172,000 on the cemetery's own site. By 1992 it was almost full, so a second layer of soil was placed over graves in the southern part.

Remember that this is a working burial ground. Keep quiet, respect mourners and be discreet with photography. It sits on Harrow Road, so a visit pairs easily with a walk through neighbouring Kensal Green.

Frequently asked questions

Is St Mary's the same as Kensal Green Cemetery? No. It is a separate Catholic cemetery in the same area, opened in 1858.

Can I visit? Yes, but it is an active cemetery, so calm and respectful behaviour is expected.

Who is buried here? Among others Krystyna Skarbek, Andrzej Kowerski, Josef Jakobs, Louis Brennan and Sir John Barbirolli.

Is there a chapel? Yes, dating from 1860, with a monthly mass.