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Inventory Site Record

London Road Burial Ground (Merton)

Brief Description

London Road Cemetery dates from 1929 and is on an open site with a chapel and lodge at the entrance, now a private house. The entrance has the original gates with brick and stone piers, although there are new railings along London Road. The entrance on Victoria Road has brick and stone gate piers. The central mortuary chapel is shown on the OS Map in 1930, with the cemetery laid out with a grid system of paths. There are a number of flower beds and rose beds south of the London Road entrance. The cemetery contains a few unusual memorials including that of someone who died in a diving accident, the tomb taking the form of a diving helmet. Among those buried here are members of the travellers' families who regularly came to Mitcham Fair. Improvements to the toilet block, chapel and railings were carried out in 2011.

Practical Information
Previous / Other name:
London Road Cemetery
Site location:
London Road/Victoria Road, Mitcham
Postcode:
CR4 3LA
What 3 Words:
decide.lowest.wiped
Type of site:
Cemetery
Borough:
Merton
Open to public?
Yes
Opening times:
Mon-Sat: 9am.Sun & Bank Hols: 10am - 4pm (Nov-Feb); -5.30pm (Mar/Oct); -7pm (Apr/Sep); -8pm May - August). Xmas Day 10am -3pm.
Special conditions:
Facilities:
toilets
Events:
Public transport:
Rail: Tooting then bus. Bus: 264, 270, 280, 355.
Research updated:
01/02/2012
Last minor changes:
21/03/2025

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.merton.gov.uk/community-living/register/cemeteries/mertoncemeteries

Full Site Description

The cemetery flanks London Road, which was a toll road into London. Up until the early C20th the area around Figges Marsh (q.v.) remained open land, with some housing constructed south of Tooting Junction station to the north of the common by 1911 (OS Surrey VII.16 25 ins Edition of 1913, surveyed  1864-6, revised 1911). By the 1930s housing surrounded the commonland, with London Road Cemetery and adjacent Recreation Ground (Tamworth Recreation Ground) marked (OS Surrey VII.16 25 ins Edition of 1935, revised 1934).

Sources consulted:

Hugh Meller & Brian Parsons, 'London Cemeteries, An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer', 4th edition (The History Press, 2008)

Further Information (Planning and Conservation)
Grid ref:
TQ277700 (527820,170113)
Size in hectares:
5.46
Site ownership:
LB Merton
Site management:
Cemeteries Office
Date(s):
1929
Designer(s):
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

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.