Funeral Costs ...

Cemeteries

Burial is more expensive than cremation in London, unless you choose a public grave. Most cemeteries are owned by city councils and you will find it cheaper to buy a private plot if you are a resident.

Visiting the grave in a woodland burial ground (see Natural Options), can be a special day out in beautiful surroundings. You can take a picnic, relax, reminisce and shed a tear together. Should you wish to reserve the surrounding area for future burials of coffins or ashes, it’s much easier with newly opened grounds than long-established cemeteries.

Access is restricted in only one London cemetery – Highgate West Cemetery or the ‘old’ cemetery. This may present difficulties for some families or be an advantage to others, depending on circumstances. The other cemeteries have free access for all and will help you find a grave you’re looking for. Check their opening and closing times.

When the time comes to choose a headstone, we can recommend a memorial mason to you. Sometimes a stone can’t be laid until a year after burial, so you have plenty of time to select a stone and consider the wording.

Enquire at individual cemeteries regarding disabled access.

Prices vary according to the cemetery and the position of the grave within it. Woodland plots are generally less expensive than those in Greater London. Contact your funeral director for quotes.

North London Cemeteries

East Finchley Cemetery, East Finchley N2 0RZ     Sometimes known as St Marylebone, this cemetery was established in 1854 and has mature and well kept grounds. A plot here costs less if you live in Westminster, but as with all council owned cemeteries, it is also open to non-residents.
It has good parking facilities, so it’s ideal if you are expecting a lot of people to arrive by car. Although the cemetery is close to the North Circular, the nearest exit is Falloden Way. Disabled facilities: disabled toilets, contact the cemetery for ramps to be installed. Call the cemetery office directly on 020 8567 0913 view website

Enfield Cemetery, EN1 4DS    Serving the Borough of Haringey, the grounds at Enfield are primarily used for memorial garden, but some burials do still take place there. It has two chapels, both of which comfortably seat 90 people. Disabled facilities: access in the chapels, wheelchair available.
view website

Hendon Cemetery, NW7 1NB    Situated in the Borough of Barnet, Hendon Cemetery was established in 1899 and has calm, leafy grounds. The North Chapel seats about 70 people, offering a 7 day per week service with flexible hours and reasonable prices.
It is approached through a Tudor style gatehouse with a winding road bordered on either side by flowers, lawns and trees. It’s about 40 minutes drive from Central London and only 10 minutes walk from Mill Hill East tube station. Disabled facilities: access throughout, loop system and wheelchair available. view website

Highgate Cemetery, Highgate, N6 6PJ    Highgate is London’s most famous cemetery due to its gothic beauty and the many famous people who are buried there. It is also London’s most expensive cemetery as there are only a few single plots still available.
The funds that are raised today are used by the charity Friends of Highgate Cemetery to maintain the grounds and its 52,000 graves that date back to 1839. There is no cemetery chapel at Highgate Disabled access: contact the cemetery. view website

Islington Cemetery, N2 9AG    Situated on the same site as St. Pancras Cemetery in East Finchley, this cemetery also serves Camden residents. It is accessible with public transport, but you might find that the grave is up to 20 minutes walk from the main gates, however a minibus service operates at weekends. The chapel seats 120.
Disabled facilities: call on 0207 527 8300 to check access to the grave. There are disabled toilets in the grounds, but not in the cemetery chapel. Call ahead for guidance. view website

Kensal Green Cemetery, W10 4RA    Consecrated in 1833, the General Cemetery of All Souls at Kensal Green has two chapels. Originally there were 2 sections; the Anglicans’ and the Dissenters’.
The cemetery exudes an air of romantic decay and has some famous graves and interesting tombs and memorials. A large car park is situated within the grounds. The main entrance is on the Harrow Road. Disabled facilities: wheelchair access to both chapels view website

New Southgate Cemetery, N11 1JJ     Catering for a vast range of religions and traditions including Caribbean, Greek Orthodox, Non-Religious, Roman Catholic, Church of England, Bahai, Jehovah’s Witness and Jewish burials. New Southgate probably reflects the city’s multicultural diversity more than any other North London cemetery. It is easily accessible from the M25 and A111.
The cemetery was established in 1861. Disabled facilities: loop system and wheelchair access to the chapels, wheelchair available to borrow. view website

St Pancras Cemetery, East Finchley, N2 9AG Situated on the same site as Islington Cemetery, St Pancras is also multi-denominational, but has a dedicated Roman Cathoic lawn area. Some of the more mature parts of the cemetery are designated conservation areas for the protection of plants and wildlife.
The cemetery uses Islington's cemetery chapel for services of any kind prior to the burial. Disabled facilities: See Islington Cemetery. view website

Trent Park Cemetery, EN4 0DZ    This cemetery is next to Cockfosters tube station and not far from the M25. It was opened in 1960 and designed as a lawn cemetery, so all memorials are bronze plaques which lie flat on the ground. There’s ample parking space and a chapel in the grounds with a book of rememberance.
Disabled facilities: no disabled toilet, but good access to many of the graves as the site is virtually flat. Bear in mind that a lawn grave which is not by a road might be inaccessible by wheelchair in wet weather view website

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