Inventory Site Record

London Road Cemetery is the oldest of Bromley's cemeteries and opened in 1877, laid out by architect George Truefitt, whose two ragstone chapels connected by a porte-cochère and a mortuary remain, although his lodge has since been rebuilt. The layout has cruciform drives with a central circular area, and the planting includes Cedars, Scots pine and other conifers with later flowering 'cemetery trees'.

Previous / Other name:

Beckenham Cemetery

Site location:

Warner Road, Bromley

Postcode:

BR1 3RR

What 3 Words:

blaze.boat.holly

Type of site:

Cemetery

Borough:

Bromley

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

Daily 10am-4pm (October-March)/ 10am-7pm (April-September)

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Toilets

Events:

Public transport:

Rail: Bromley North then bus.

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Research updated:

01/04/2002

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.bromley.gov.uk

London Road Cemetery is the oldest of Bromley's cemeteries and opened in 1877, laid out by architect George Truefitt, who won the competition for its design and whose Gothic style buildings remain largely intact. These comprise two ragstone chapels connected by a porte-cochère and a mortuary, although his lodge has since been rebuilt. The cemetery retains its decorative iron gates although some of the boundary railings have since gone. The layout has cruciform drives with a central circular area, and the planting includes Cedars, Scots pine and other conifers with later flowering 'cemetery trees'. There is a fine granite column commemorating William Digby (d.1901), a notable sarcophagus to the Johnson family and marble railed memorial to the Tweedy family. Among notable people buried here are Major General Henry Babbage (1825-1918), whose father was Charles Babbage (1791-1871), the pioneer who designed - but failed to build - the first automatic computing engines in the 1820s; Sir Edward Scott (d.1883), banker and Sheriff of Kent in 1878; Sir Ralph Forster (d.1930), Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey; and Horace, Earl Farquhar (d.1923), Master of Edward VII's Household and Lord Steward from 1915-22. The cemetery is now full.

Bromley's cemeteries have been managed on behalf of Bromley Council by idverde UK since 2008. In June 2015 idverde was contracted by Bromley Council for the management of the borough's parks, green spaces and countryside service, a relationship that was extended in April 2019 for a further 16 years. 

Sources consulted:

B Cherry & N Pevsner, 'The Buildings of England, London 2: South' (1983, reprint 1999) p167; Hugh Meller & Brian Parsons, 'London Cemeteries, An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer', 4th edition (The History Press, 2008), pp87/8.

Grid ref:

TQ398701 (539768,170265)

Size in hectares:

1.944

Site ownership:

LB Bromley

Site management:

Cemeteries Office (maintenance contracted to idverde)

Date(s):

1877

Designer(s):

George Truefitt

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:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

None