Wolvercote Cemetery

Wolvercote Cemetery is a municipal cemetery in north Oxford, in the parish of Wolvercote and the district of Cutteslowe. It is a working burial ground, yet it also draws visitors who care about literature, scholarship and sport, because several world-famous names rest here.

Where is it and how do you get in?

The main entrance is on Banbury Road, one of the principal routes running north out of central Oxford. A side gate opens onto Five Mile Drive. On site there is a funeral chapel, public toilets and a small amount of car parking. Spaces are limited, so on busy funeral days it is easier to arrive on foot or by bike, as most people in Oxford do anyway.

How old is it, and how big?

The cemetery opened in 1889 and holds roughly 15,000 burials according to the sources available. It is laid out in sections for different faiths, so you will see a range of memorial styles and symbols side by side. In 1999 and 2001 it earned plaques as a category winner in the "Cemetery of the Year" awards, a sign of how carefully the grounds are kept.

Whose grave should you look for?

The most visited grave belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It lies in the Roman Catholic section, where he is buried with his wife Edith. The headstone carries the names Beren and Lúthien, the lovers from one of the central tales of his mythology, whom the couple chose as a symbol of their own story. Fans often leave small tokens beside it.

Other burials include:

• Sir Roger Bannister (1929–2018), the first person to run a mile in under four minutes,
• Isaiah Berlin (1909–1997), philosopher and historian of ideas,
• Michael Dummett (1925–2011) and H.L.A. Hart (1907–1992), philosophers,
• James Murray (1837–1915), principal editor of the Oxford English Dictionary,
• Charles Umpherston Aitchison (1832–1896), Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab,
• Michael Argyle (1925–2002), social psychologist,
• Sir Ernest Bennett (1865–1947), Oxford fellow, politician and writer.

Visiting respectfully

This is an active cemetery, so the usual etiquette applies: keep voices low, avoid playing music, and be mindful of families visiting their own relatives. Take photographs discreetly and never step on graves. A visit is easy to plan because the main points of interest, above all Tolkien's grave, are within one fairly compact site.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Tolkien's grave? In the Roman Catholic section of Wolvercote Cemetery, next to the grave of his wife Edith. The stone bears the names Beren and Lúthien.

Is there an admission fee? It is a municipal cemetery, and there is no charge to enter the publicly accessible grounds.

Are there toilets and parking? Yes, the site has public toilets and a small car park.

When did the cemetery open? In 1889.

Which entrance should I use? The main entrance is on Banbury Road; the side entrance is on Five Mile Drive.

Is it linked to the University of Oxford? Many Oxford scholars and writers are buried here, but it is a city cemetery serving the local parish and district rather than a university one.