Buildings in Fulham Cemetery
A brief history
Fulham Cemetery was established in 1865 and is the borough's oldest cemetery. It was designed by John Hall, including the entrance lodge, and the two chapels, both in Gothic style.
The cemetery is bounded by stone walls, piers and railings along Fulham Palace Road. The Nonconformist chapel has been demolished.
Read more: History of Fulham Cemetery 👉
Listed structures (Building of Merit: local list): Chapel, lodge, boundary railings, gates, piers, and stone wall.
On this page
Original buildings and features
Demolished buildings
Other buildings and features
Fulham Cemetery Friends welcomes contributions of more information or images of these buildings!
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Original buildings and features
Church of England Chapel
Designed in 1865 by John Hall in Gothic style and located near the west gate from Fulham Palace Road.
At the west end it has a fine tympanum over the entrance showing Christ, two angels and three sleeping crusaders, and an attractive bellcote (repaired in 2024.)
The 1865 Ordnance Survey map shows it as the Episcopal Chapel, and the 1897 map as the Church of England Mortuary Chapel.
The chapel is kept locked and used by the local authority for storage.
On 27 August 2024 the Friends visited the chapel. Photo
Entrance lodge
Designed 1865 by John Hall in Gothic style and located near the west gate from Fulham Palace Road.
The lodge, which was the residence of the cemetery superintendent, has the Bishopric of London Arms of crossed swords and a mitre on the exterior wall at first floor level. You will find the grave of the first superintendent, Thomas Furner, directly behind the lodge (photo).
The lodge was sold in 2014 and renovated as a private residence. The renovation featured on Grand Designs series 18 (see Tatler article or watch on Channel 4).
Walls, gates, railings, and piers
Most of these are original Victorian features.
Fulham cemetery is bounded by cast iron railings on the west side along Fulham Palace Road, the north side along Lillie Rec, and the south side along the backs of houses.
The avenue to Munster Road, added in 1874, and the east side of the south extension, are bounded by brick walls. The walls are in poor condition. They have been surveyed by the council and funding is being sought for their renovation. One area is fenced off as it is unsafe.
Demolished buildings
Nonconformist / Dissenters' Chapel
Also designed in 1865 by John Hall. It stood just south of the main avenue, opposite the west lodge, where the waiting room is today.
The Nonconformist Chapel is shown in all the old maps we've found until the 1944-73 Ordnance Survey. We don't know when it was demolished, but from aerial photos we can tell it was between 1949 and 1966.
The east lodge
The cemetery was extended to Munster Road in 1874. There was a lodge by the Munster Road gate, as shown in the 1897 Ordnance Survey map. The date of its demolition is not known but it was relatively recently – in the last 20 years or so. The wall by the gate still shows the outline of a building in this location (photo).
Mortuaries
There were 2 mortuary buildings, both shown in the 1897 map:
The first, against the east wall of the 1880 extension, was built in 1880.
The Parish Mortuary was opposite the east lodge by the Munster Road Gate. According to Fulham Old and New, C J Feret, 1900, it was built by Mr. R. Cox in 1888-9.
1949 Aerial photo, looking east
In this aerial photo, the Nonconformist Chapel, both mortuaries, and east lodge can all still be seen.
[EAW022275] The city from Fulham Football Ground looking towards Hyde Park and beyond, Fulham, from the south-west, 1949. © Historic England. To zoom in on the image, create an account. This is the maximum detail available.Other buildings and features
The waiting room
This small building stands next to the lodge, where the Nonconformist Chapel used to be.
Since 2024 it is used by Fulham Cemetery Friends with the council's permission to store gardening tools.
It was badly overgrown and the roof and door needed repair.
Raised flowerbeds outside the gate
The flowerbeds and paving at the Fulham Palace Road gate were added fairly recently, after 2012. (See earlier photo on Google Street View.) Previously the entire crescent by the entrance was asphalt-paved and accessible to vehicles.
The flowerbeds are planted with tulips (seen in spring), and flowering sage, which feeds pollinators all summer.