Alperton Cemetery (Brent)
Brief Description
Alperton Cemetery was opened as Wembley Cemetery in 1917 and the first interment took place in 1918. The pair of chapels linked by a porte-cochère were built in 1937, a modest red brick building but having good stained glass in the burial chapel. The Columbarium was opened in the other chapel in 1942. The cemetery has paths laid out in a grid pattern, with a variety of trees throughout. There is a war grave section maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Practical Information
- Previous / Other name:
- Wembley Cemetery
- Site location:
- Clifford Road/Bridgewater Road, Alperton
- Postcode:
- HA0 1AF
- What 3 Words:
- pose.wells.title
- Type of site:
- Cemetery
- Borough:
- Brent
- Open to public?
- Yes
- Opening times:
- 9am-4pm (Jan/Feb/Nov/Dec) - 5pm (Oct) - 6pm (Mar) - 7pm (April, Sept) - 8pm (May - August). Chapel opened for London Open House - 2000)
- Special conditions:
- Facilities:
- Toilets
- Events:
- Public transport:
- Tube: Alperton (Piccadilly). Bus: 79, 83, 224, 226, 245, 297, 487.
- Research updated:
- 01/07/2009
- Last minor changes:
- 19/07/2023
Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.brent.gov.uk
Full Site Description
Alperton Cemetery was opened in 1917 during WWI, and until 1946 it was called Wembley Cemetery. It is sited between the Grand Union Canal and Bridgewater Road and backs onto Sudbury Golf Course. The first interment took place in 1918. The cemetery has a formal layout of paths in a grid pattern. The pair of cemetery chapels, linked by a porte-cochère , were built in 1937 at a cost of £4,700, designed by the Borough Surveyor for Wembley UDC. It is a modest red brick building with Portland stone dressing and a Welsh slate roof. The budget allowed for fine stained glass in the burial chapel, showing a fortressed city. The Columbarium was dedicated in the other chapel in May 1942. At the cemetery entrance are brick and stone gate piers, an area of beds with ornamental planting, and a lodge to the north. The cemetery has a variety of trees throughout, with lines of Lombardy poplar and avenues along the paths, including ornamental cherry trees. There is a war grave section maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and also a children's section. It was Winner of the Cemetery of the Year Award in 2007.
Sources consulted:
LB Brent Cemeteries Dept website; Ian Yarham, Meg Game 'Nature Conservation in Brent, Ecology Handbook 31' (London Ecology Unit, 2000); Hugh Meller & Brian Parsons, 'London Cemeteries, An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer', 4th edition (The History Press, 2008)
Further Information (Planning and Conservation)
- Grid ref:
- TQ174840 (517470,184130)
- Size in hectares:
- 4
- Site ownership:
- LB Brent
- Site management:
- Cemeteries and Mortuaries Service
- Date(s):
- 1917
- Designer(s):
- Borough Surveyor for Wembley UDC (Cecil R W Chapman)
- Listed structures:
- None
- On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:
No- Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:
No- Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:
No
Local Authority Data
The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.
- On Local List:
- No
- In Conservation Area:
- No
- Tree Preservation Order:
- Not known
- Nature Conservation Area:
- Yes - Local Importance
- Green Belt:
- No
- Metropolitan Open Land:
- Yes
- Special Policy Area:
- No
- Other LA designation:
- None
Photos
Alperton Cemetery, June 2001. Photo: S Williams
Click a photo to enlarge.
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.