About the Cemetery
Inspired by the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, All Souls Cemetery, Kensal Green was founded by the barrister George Frederick Carden.
The Cemetery opened in 1833 and comprises 72 acres of grounds, including two conservation areas, adjoining a canal. The cemetery is home to at least 33 species of bird and other wildlife.
The Cemetery has memorials ranging from large mausolea housing the rich and famous to many distinctive smaller graves and includes special areas dedicated to the very young.
The Cemetery serves all faiths. It has four Chapels.
The famous Anglican Chapel is currently closed to the public. The General Cemetery Company, who run the Cemetery and Crematorium are seeking funding to refurbish the Chapel.
The Dissenters Chapel is currently home to the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery but can still be used for ceremonies on request.
The Crematorium has two Chapels which are covered on this website on the Crematorium page.
Burials and Reopening of Graves
Kensal Green Cemetery has very limited grave space. Because of this a decision was taken by the Board to no longer sell plots in advance (or in reserve). This means that new grave plots cannot be purchased without a funeral being arranged at the same time. The same is true for ashes plots.
See the price list for the fees for new graves, ashes plots and burial. If you are arranging a funeral, your Funeral Director will put you in touch with us to arrange a visit to select a plot.
Burials may take place at any time up to 2pm each day subject to availability. Burial services can be conducted at the graveside or in one of the Cemetery’s Chapels.
Use of Chapels
If you wish to have a ceremony before going to the graveside for the burial, you can choose to use one of the Cemetery’s chapels for this pupose. The East or West Chapels of the Crematorium are most frequently used for this purpose but the Dissenters Chapel can also be booked on request.
Fees for the use of these chapels are on the price list on this website. Your Funeral Director will usually contact us to arrange this but you may call us direct and make an arrangement to view the Chapels before deciding. Please phone us. Contact details are on the Contact and Directions link from the home page.
Forms for Burial
Notice of Burial (to be used for burial of coffins). Please note, we do not advise that you print off or photocopy our forms in advance as they are subject to change and we will only accept the latest version of the form.
There is a separate form for burial of ashes in an ashes plot or in an existing grave – Notice of Ashes Burial After a grave has settled a monument may be added. This can only be done once the Grounds man has carried out an inspection to ascertain that it is unlikely that the monument will not sink or lean. The surface of a grave may begin to dip over time and it may be necessary to top up a grave with more earth in order to ensure that the surface eventually levels out. If we notice this we will top up the grave. However, if you visit and notice this yourself you can request a top up by phoning us at the Cemetery Office. To purchase a headstone or monument for a grave you need to be the grave owner. If the deceased was the grave owner you will need to arrange a transfer of ownership. There is a fee for this and you will need to be able to prove ownership. Please call the Cemetery Office for details. You should arrange to purchase a monument through a mason who will in turn contact us to check the ownership of the grave and enquire about permit fees. A permit is usually required for any monument (or change to any monument). There are strict rules for monuments which are subject to change from time to time and are agreed at Board level. A monument may only occupy the grave space you own and must not exceed the grave size. Additionally there are rules over the height that a monument may be, the materials used to construct it and the safety measures and standards that must be adhered to by masons. Please be careful when planning a monument to leave space if you want to regularly leave flowers on the grave. Local masons will usually know our permit fees and rules. We suggest that your first action when planning a monument is contacting a stone mason. The Cemetery Rules and Regulations are available here. They are subject to change at any time. Please always check on this website for the latest version. To protect the graves, fauna and flora, PLEASE NO DOGS in the Cemetery. This is a 72 acre cemetery with over 65,000 graves. It is unlikely that you will be able to find a grave by simply walking in and looking around. All of our records (apart from very recent burials and cremations) are held online on a site called Deceased Online. You can see a citation for the grave free and pay a small fee for extra information including the grave number. You will still need to visit the offices to see a smaller scale map showing the location of the actual grave to be able to find it more easily. Please check the office opening times before setting out.
Memorials and Headstones – Cemetery
Cemetery Rules and Regulations
If you are looking for a grave…