Mitcham Road Cemetery, previously called Croydon Cemetery, is a

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

located next to

Mitcham Common Mitcham Common is 182 hectares (460 acres) of common land situated in south London. It is predominantly in the London borough of Merton, with parts straddling the borders of Croydon and Sutton. It is designated a Site of Metropolit ...

near

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

, which is part of the

London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon () is a London borough, borough in South London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of and had a population of 397,741 as of mid-2023, making it the most populous London borough. It is London's southernmost ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Croydon Crematorium is located inside the cemetery, and are both managed by Croydon Cemeteries and Crematoriums. The cemetery is much larger than other ones in London. There is also a chapel located inside the cemetery.

History

The cemetery was opened in 1897, and extended twice, in 1935 and again in 1937. A tree-lined drive leads to a modern chapel and crematorium block with paved landscaping, which gradually gives way to the Victorian original, with its own chapel and a number of angels. The crematorium was built in 1937, and extended in 1962.

Notable burials and cremations

Derek Bentley Derek William Bentley (30 June 1933 – 28 January 1953) was a British man who was hanged for the murder of a policeman during a burglary. Christopher Craig, then aged 16, a friend and accomplice of Bentley, was accused of the murder. Be ...

(1933–1953), controversially hanged in 1953 (remains moved from

Wandsworth Prison HM Prison Wandsworth is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom, Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, South West (London sub region), South West London, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Pri ...

in 1966). His family successfully fought for "A Victim of British Justice" to be inscribed on his gravestone *

Ronnie Corbett Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...

(1930–2016), comedian (cremated) * Frederick George Creed (1871–1957), inventor of the

teleprinter A teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point and point- ...

* Sir Charles Flynn, Deputy Chairman of

HM Customs and Excise HM Customs and Excise (properly known as Her Majesty's Customs and Excise at the time of its dissolution) was a department of the British Government formed in 1909 by the merger of HM Customs and HM Excise; its primary responsibility was the ...

1936–1938 *

William Hurlstone William Yeates Hurlstone (7 January 1876 – 30 May 1906) was an English composer. Showing brilliant musical talent from an early age, he died young, before his full potential could be realized. Nevertheless, he left behind an exquisite, albeit s ...

(1876–1906), composer *

Meredith Kercher Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher (28 December 1985 – 1 November 2007) was a British student on Student exchange program, exchange from the University of Leeds who was murdered at the age of 21 in Perugia, Italy. Kercher was found dead on the f ...

(1985–2007), murdered student * Tom Norman (1860–1930), businessman and showman, manager of

Joseph Merrick Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890) was an English man known for his severe physical deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "The Elephant Man", and then went to live at the London Hospital, ...

, the "Elephant Man" * Sandra Rivett (1945–1974), children's nanny, murder victim (according to inquest) of her employer's estranged husband

Lord Lucan Richard John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan (born 18 December 1934 – disappeared 8 November 1974, declared dead 27 October 1999), commonly known as Lord Lucan, was a British peer and gambler who vanished in 1974 after being suspected of killing ...

, was cremated here in 1974. Mitcham Road Cemetery - geograph

The cemetery has a memorial to 34 boys and 2 masters from The Archbishop Lanfranc School, who were killed in an aircraft crash near

Stavanger Airport, Sola Stavanger Airport (; ), commonly known simply as Sola, is an international airport located in Rogaland county, Norway. The airport is located southwest of the centre of the city of Stavanger inside the neighboring municipality of Sola an ...

, in 1961. It adjoins a communal grave in which 33 of the boys and one master are buried. Also cremated here were the remains of nearly 6,000 psychiatric inmates of

Cane Hill Hospital Cane Hill Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Coulsdon in the London Borough of Croydon. The hospital motto was ''"Aversos compono animos"'' (I bring relief to troubled minds). The hospital was built in the 1880s, but from the 1960s its use ...

, who were exhumed from the hospital's deconsecrated cemetery on Portnail Road in 1981 as part of the redevelopment of its site.
'The Croydon Citizen'' online article, 'In memory of the soldiers of Cane Hill', by Sean Creighton, posted 27 April 2015.

War graves

The cemetery contains the graves of 195 Commonwealth service personnel of the World War I, First World War, scattered throughout the cemetery, and 150 from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Some of the Second World War-era graves form a war graves plot on Thornton Heath extension (Plot P.P.), which contains special memorials to two casualties whose graves could not be located.
CWGC Cemetery Report, dated accessed 8 September 2012. A Portland stone memorial, erected by the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

, which faces the Garden of Rest at Croydon Crematorium, commemorates 59 Commonwealth service personnel of the Second World War who were cremated there. In 2015 a further memorial, next door to the war graves plot, was erected to commemorate 18 discharged British soldiers of the First World War who died at the

and were originally buried there until its site was redeveloped, following which their remains were exhumed and cremated here,
CWGC Cemetery Report, Croydon Crematorium, access date 8 September 2012. their ashes scattered in 'Location 1000' in the grounds.
Surrey in the Great War online article, The forgotten servicemen of Cane Hill, posted by Imogen Middleton, text by Brian Roote. In all 77 Commonwealth service personnel are commemorated at the Crematorium.

Transport links

The cemetery is located on the west edge of the Croydon borough and is not well connected by public transport, although inside the cemetery there is an extensive network of roads suitable for cars. London Buses route 264 stops outside the cemetery. Therapia Lane tram stop is a five-minute walk away from the cemetery and is on

Tramlink Tramlink, previously Croydon Tramlink and currently branded as London Trams, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It is the first operational tram system serving the London region since 195 ...

which serves

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...

, Croydon and

New Addington New Addington is an area of South London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located 5 miles south east of Croydon and is adjacent to the Greater London boundary with Surrey. History Until the 1930s, the area now known as New ...

. The nearest mainline railway station is Thornton Heath station which is on the

Brighton Main Line The Brighton Main Line is a railway line in southern England linking London to Brighton. It starts at two termini in the capital, and , and the branches from each meet at , from where the route continues southwards via to the coast. The line ...

London Victoria Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a London station group, central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, London, Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named afte ...

London Bridge The name "London Bridge" refers to several historic crossings that have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark in central London since Roman Britain, Roman times. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 197 ...

References

External links