Acton Cemetery

Beneath the bustling A40, a tranquil haven awaits. Acton Cemetery, a late-Victorian resting place, holds tales of artists, aviators, and entrepreneurs. Acton Cemetery was established in 1895 by the Acton Urban District Council. The land, once part of Lower Place Farm, was transformed into a peaceful sanctuary. Two chapels were erected, and the 6.5 acres were consecrated for burials. The arrival of the Metropolitan District Railway in 1903, now the Central Line, dramatically split Acton Cemetery in two. A metal bridge connects the halves, a physical link between eras. The railway’s expansion, spurred by the new Royal Agricultural Show site in Park Royal, made Acton Cemetery more accessible to mourners and visitors. The cemetery grounds hold a poignant war memorial. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records 143 graves here, testaments to lives lost in the two World Wars. Among the many individuals laid to rest at Acton Cemetery are notable figures from diverse fields. Watercolour artist Henry Charles Brewer, known for his work at St Peter’s Church in Ealing, rests near his brother, James Alphege Brewer, a talented etcher. Sir K. A. C. Creswell, a renowned architectural historian specializing in Islamic architecture in Egypt, also found his final resting place here. Music entrepreneur Jamal Edwards, an MBE recipient and Prince’s Trust ambassador, is another notable figure buried at Acton Cemetery. Other intriguing stories emerge from the stones. Francis Robert Japp, a British chemist who discovered the Japp–Klingemann reaction, rests here. Sir Samuel Lewis, the first West African knight and a founder of modern Sierra Leone, is also interred within Acton Cemetery. A memorial adorned with a lifebelt marks the resting place of Albert Norris Perry, a victim of the Lusitania disaster. George Lee Temple, the first Englishman to fly upside down and the youngest to fly from London to Paris in 1914, is also commemorated here. Acton Cemetery, a place of rest and remembrance, whispers stories of lives lived, achievements celebrated, and sacrifices made. It offers a tranquil escape from the urban rush, inviting contemplation amidst the echoes of history.