Inventory Site Record

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 entrances at London Road and Victoria Road have the original gates with brick and stone piers, although there are new railings along London Road. 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.

Previous / Other name:

London Road Burial Ground

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.

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

29/05/2025

Last minor changes:

29/05/2025

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. https://www.merton.gov.uk/births-marriages-and-deaths/deaths/cemeteries/london-road

The cemetery flanks London Road, which was a toll road into London. Up until the early C20th the area remained open land, with some housing constructed by 1911 to the south of Tooting Junction station, and to the north of the commonland at Figges Marsh (q.v.), a remnant of Mitcham Commonland (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 Tamworth Recreation Ground (q.v.) marked (OS Surrey VII.16 25 ins Edition of 1935, revised 1934).

In April 1926 Mitcham Urban District Council was considering laying out a new cemetery on London Road, at a cost of £23,500. London Road Cemetery opened in April 1929, laid out on the open site with a symmetrical grid of paths, a central mortuary chapel and a lodge at the main entrance, now a private house. The entrances on London Road and Victoria Road both have the original gates with brick and stone piers, although there are new railings along London Road. The mortuary chapel, designed by Chart & Sons and built by January 1928, and the cemetery laid out with a grid system of paths are shown on the OS Map in 1930. The north boundary of the cemetery is hedged, and trees flank some of the paths, with 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 travellers' families, including the Greys, Dixies and Hunts, who regularly came to Mitcham Fair. A hedged area designated for Commonwealth War Graves has 22 headstones,and in all there are 68 war dead from WWII buried in the cemetery. Improvements to the chapel, toilet block and railings were carried out in 2011. The cemetery caters for different religions, with both consecrated and unconsecrated areas, lawn sections and an area for cremated remains.

Sources consulted:

Hugh Meller & Brian Parsons, 'London Cemeteries, An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer', 4th edition (The History Press, 2008); London Road Cemetery | Merton Council; Friends of Surrey Cemeteries, Surrey Cemeteries Survey 2012: Mitcham, London Road Cemetery: Surrey Churches Index; Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Mitcham (London Road) Cemetery | Cemetery Details | CWGC

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