Tottenham Park Cemetery is the third and youngest of the three main burial grounds on Montagu Road,
Established in 1912 by the Tottenham Park Cemetery. It was initially established and used as a paupers’ cemetery, serving the burial needs of the poorest members of the local community.
From the start, it was intended as a mixed-faith burial ground, a contrast to the Jewish cemeteries (Edmonton Federation and Western Synagogue) that sit directly next to it. A central drive lined with lime trees leads to the original small, brick Gothic-style chapel, designed by architect John Bannen (this chapel has been renovated by the current owners into a multi faith space).
Over time, the cemetery has significantly evolved. It is now known to be particularly used for Muslim burials and has become one of the largest Turkish graveyards in the UK, reflecting the demographic changes in North London.
A section of the graveyard has been sold to TPICA. The cemetery has remained privately owned throughout its history.
Woodgrange Park Cemetery was opened in 1889, It is located on the borders of Manor Park and Forest Gate in East London (London Borough of Newham).
From its beginning, the cemetery was, and has remained, unconsecrated and privately owned and managed. The cemetery gained particular historical notoriety in the 1990s due to the owners’ attempts to sell a portion of the land for property development:
The owners at the time, Badgehurst Limited (the company name was later changed to WOODGRANGE PARK CEMETERY LTD), decided to sell off part of the grounds for high-intensity housing. This move was met with fierce opposition from relatives and a local group called the Friends of Woodgrange Park Cemetery.
Despite the objections, an Act of Parliament was passed in 1993 to permit the sale and the subsequent exhumation of graves in the affected area. This is known as the Woodgrange Park Cemetery Act 1993.
Approximately 14,000 bodies were professionally removed by a specialist exhumation company. These remains were re-interred in another area of the cemetery, which is now known as the Memorial Avenue or Memorial Garden of Remembrance.
The cemetery is also a resting place for military personnel:
The site contains a number of Commonwealth war burials, including 190 from the 1914–1918 war and 101 from the 1939–1945 war. Those whose graves could not be marked with a headstone are named on a Screen Wall memorial.
