Camberwell Old Cemetery Tree List
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This is the text for this booklet:
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CAMBERWELL OLD CEMETERY Walk Number One
The Camberwell Old Cemetery was established originally to provide much needed burial space for the citizens of the then parish of Camberwell. Hence the name, even though the cemetery is some miles away from the area known as Camberwell today. The graveyards of inner London were deemed full, so in 1855, thirty-one acres of meadowland were purchased by the newly appointed Burial Board and the first burial took place on 1 July 1856. The thinking behind the original design of the Victorian cemeteries is summed up below:
Before antibiotics became available in the 1940s, people were much more familiar with early death, especially amongst children of all classes, and a visit to the cemetery was an accepted regular activity. Landscaping and planting had, therefore, been carefully planned for dignity and to give solace to the mourners. (Quote from British Cemeteries, produced by the National Federation of Cemetery Friends.)
An excellent book about this cemetery has been written by Ron Woollacott. It is published by the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery and you can obtain a copy from them. The book gives a detailed history and also has a long list of the most notable persons buried in the Old Cemetery, giving more information than we have space for here.
The cemetery is a place of contrasts. Towards its northern end is a woodland area and a wildflower meadow. To the south is the modern burial ground with rows of new graves lined up very closely together. Between these areas you will find impressive and artistic monuments and some fine trees.
By 1984 over 300,000 people had been interred in the cemetery and there was no room left for further burials. A great number of the parish's poor had been placed in what are called 'public graves' but they were not usually allowed to have a memorial stone and are therefore invisible today. All the burials taking place now and planned for the future will be above the old public grave areas.
Daniel Greenwood, who grew up nearby and worked locally on nature conservation projects for London Wildlife Trust, writes as follows about the wildlife in Camberwell Old Cemetery:
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Wildflowers
As former meadowland, Camberwell Old Cemetery still has plants that indicate its long-term condition of grassland rather than woodland. Red clover, common bird's-foot-trefoil and selfheal are wildflowers important to pollinating insects and can still be found across the Cemetery. Mowing regimes are intensive which means these flowers are repressed, especially by the cutting which takes place in the summer months; but interesting plants can sometimes be found among the Victorian graves, with bees visiting the plants surviving amidst the stone.
Butterflies and Insects
Common species of butterfly can be found at the Cemetery, including red admiral, peacock, speckled wood, comma, gatekeeper, meadow brown, skippers, brimstone, holly blue and on occasion the common blue, no longer so common in East Dulwich. Butterflies need sunlight and flower-rich margins to prosper in places like the Cemetery. The hogweed, cow parsley, bramble and tree flowers are their staple sources of nectar. Other insects include the common bumblebees and a number of solitary bee species. In the decaying and dead wood and older trees of the woodland areas, beetles and nematodes are present, as well as spiders and other shade-dependent species.
Birds
The Cemetery is a vital local site for birds due to its mature trees providing nesting and roosting habitat and lots of fruit and seed to feed on. The graves on the ground are useful cover for ground-feeding birds like green woodpecker, redwing, blackbird, song and mistle thrush, starlings and members of the crow family. Lots of species are present, with sparrowhawk being a fairly common visitor. The woody slopes leading towards Peckham are good for warblers, tits and other small birds like goldcrest. Great spotted woodpeckers are a match for the flocks of ring-necked parakeet, creating new holes to nest in each year.
Bats
Bats are difficult to identify due to their nocturnal habits and the elusive nature of their communications. Bat detectors are required to allow humans to listen to their calls and thus confirm which species are present. Recent bat surveys have recorded soprano and common pipistrelles, as well as Leisler and perhaps the brown long-eared bat. Bats roost in tree holes, under peeling bark, in ivy and buildings. Roosts have been found in some of the older ash trees but the bats move around between roosting sites to avoid predators and maintain good hygiene. Their prey includes moths, mosquitos and other water-borne insects.
We have designed two walks for you to explore the cemetery. (The route here is the longer of the two; we hope to produce a second booklet in the future.)
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Most of the paths are in good condition, but there are four rough lanes leading from the open part of the cemetery into the woodland area. Visitors with certain types of disability might find these lanes difficult to access so we would suggest, in that case, you should stay on the main paths. Indeed, for visitors in general it is best to keep mainly to the paths, partly because it can get very muddy at times, and partly because it is not good for trees if the earth around them should get too impacted.
We have noted specific examples of certain tree species together with some of the many interesting gravestones. The numbered trees have labels on them and we give both the English and the botanical, or scientific, name which is understood throughout the world. If the tree is an evergreen we say so, otherwise the tree listed is what is called deciduous; that is, it loses its leaves in the winter. We hope when you walk around you will see some of the wildlife described above by Daniel.
The main gate into Camberwell Old Cemetery is in Forest Hill Road, London SE22 0RU. The gate posts and the lodge to the left (now owned privately) were designed in the Gothic Revival style by the eminent Victorian architect George Gilbert Scott. The lodge was used in the 1970s film of Joe Orton's 'Entertaining Mr. Sloane'.
Take the first path on your right which leads to a section containing private graves. If you look to your right you will see Tree Number 1, a large sweet bay tree, Lauris nobilis. The bay tree was introduced from the Mediterranean in 1562 and is an evergreen tree. The leaves, when crushed, have a rich fruity aroma and are used in cooking.
There are plans to reduce the grass cutting in the area to your left containing old graves, allowing a wild flower meadow to establish itself.
While on the path, if you look to your right, you will see Tree Number 2, a London plane, Platanus x hispanica. This tree sheds its bark regularly and this process enabled it in the past to survive the fabled London smogs. At the bottom of this one you can see a large swelling which gives it the name 'Baobab Plane', after the African tree of similar appearance. Some think this modified growth is caused by a viral infection; nonetheless, these burrs are prized for veneers in cabinet making.
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When you get to the end of the first part of the path you will see Grave Number 1. This marks the grave of three Armenian exiles, members of the Hentchakist Party of Armenia (an independence movement), who were variously assassinated in the neighbourhoods of Peckham Rye and Nunhead by a member of a rival faction. The memorial is distinguished by a tall red obelisk which has recently been restored. (See Armenian Institute News, vol 7, 2009 for more information about these events.)
Behind this monument you can see Grave Number 2, a tapered column with a metal cross in a circle at the top. This commemorates civilians who lost their lives in a Zeppelin raid on Camberwell during the Great War; the names of the victims are listed on the back.
Behind that grave is Tree Number 3, an English oak, Quercus robur. The Druids held the oak to be sacred and its timber later became an important construction material due to its strength and durability. You will see a number of English oaks as you walk around the cemetery and some are very old indeed.
Moving down the path, look to your right and you can see Grave Number 3, in the form of a wall inscribed with the names of those who fell in the Great War. Those victims listed on the east side are buried near to the wall and have no individual stones. Those named on the west side are buried elsewhere in the cemetery, while to the side are some small gravestones of those who died in World War II.
In front of the wall area is Grave Number 4, belonging to Albert McKenzie, born in Bermondsey, and who received the first ever London VC for conspicuous gallantry at Zeebrugge, Belgium. He was also the first sailor to be awarded the VC by the votes of his comrades. A statue in his honour was unveiled in Tower Bridge Road, Bermondsey, on 23 October 2015.
To the left of the wall you can see Tree Number 4, a large common ash tree, Fraxinus excelsior. Even in winter you will be able to identify an ash tree by its distinctive, large black buds.
Walk to the end of this section and by the junction with the main path is Grave Number 5, that of John Manning who was a civil engineer. The grave has a tall stone cross, dignified in its simplicity, 'balancing' on top of a vault.
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Stand in front of this grave and look to the right: you will notice Grave Number 6, the fallen pink grave of Nellie and her husband Nelson Tobias Francis, manager of the Empress Theatre Brixton and who died in 1926.
A playbill from 1910 shows that Harry Lauder and Marie Lloyd were performing there.
Turn right and walk up the main path: on the right is Tree Number 5, a crack willow, Salix fragilis, whose shoots will readily snap off and can, in the right environment (usually riverine) root to form a new tree.
Carry on up the main path to the roundabout: looking to your left you will find the toilets, and on this site used to stand a Church of England Chapel, which was demolished after suffering bomb damage in WW II.
Near to these toilets is Grave Number 7, with a Grade II listed monument to James John Berkeley who was appointed Chief Engineer of the the Great Indian Peninsular Railway in 1849.
Turn right at the roundabout to enter the second green lane into the woodlands. Note the very special oak to the left; it is well screened by ivy and could be more than 200 years old.
Quite soon, on the right and at the end of a small clearing, you will see Grave Number 8, that of William Stanlake who was awarded the VC for bravery in the Crimean War. This hero, who was clearly quite poor, received a public burial and as usual there would have been no gravestone. However, his regiment the Coldstream Guards obtained permission to erect one and they still visit to maintain it.
As you go down this lane you should see, depending on the time of year, a variety of wild flowers and butterflies (see Daniel Greenwood's notes above) and a broad range of trees such as willow, oak, ash, holly and sycamore.
Turn left at the bottom of the lane and then take a right turn into the meadow. Looking around the area you should spot many wild flowers and grasses, also the four new English oak trees which have been planted toward the west behind the houses on the south side of Ryedale. When you see these look to your left and walk towards what is at present a waste bin, when you can rejoin the main path and
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then go straight ahead up the third leafy lane. Note the very large honeysuckle, excellent for pollinators, to the left of the path. You might want to detour to the right here, and enjoy a moment in the adjacent, atmospheric woody glade. Rejoin the lane noticing more oaks, aged over 100 years, and then on back to the main part of the cemetery.
Across the main path just to the left is Grave Number 9, the Rodney grave. Lying on the ground is a life-sized marble figure of a soldier in uniform. This represents 7th Lord Rodney (1857-1909) who was a military man of the 1st Life Guards and a hereditary peer, ultimately impecunious. He was living on Denmark Hill at the time of his death.
Turn right and walk up the main path towards the Underhill Road side. Where the road divides you will see Grave Number 10, that of Robert Alexander Gray JP, known as 'The Father of Camberwell'. He suggested the construction of this cemetery and was the first chairman of the Burial Board. A female figure, now headless, lies at the base of the monument.
Behind this grave is Tree Number 6, a common hornbeam, Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata'. This example shows a cultivated form with near-vertical branching, known as 'fastigiate'. The name 'hornbeam' derives from the Anglo-Saxon words for 'hard tree', as the wood is very hard and was (and is yet) used for tool handles, chopping blocks, gear wheels and other objects requiring very tough properties.
Carry on walking up the main path towards Underhill Road always keeping to the right. Note on your left Grave Number 11, that of Sidney William Smith who was a Master Mariner. His grave has an anchor design on the memorial: a conventional funerary icon for those of the maritime world. Note also the large English oak opposite.
Further on to the left is Tree Number 7, a Caucasian lime, Tilia x euchlora (sometimes also called a Crimean lime). The 'x' of the scientific name means this is a 'crossed' or hybrid tree, the result of breeding together two different species of the many in the lime family. The foliage is glossy and not aphid-friendly, unlike other limes!
When you get to the top of the path you will see to your right an area which is fenced off. This is designated as 'Area Z', and was a public
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burial ground when past mismanagement of the cemetery allowed a huge pile of building debris to be dumped there illegally. Southwark Council is presently carrying out their plan to prepare this area for new private graves, although a section at the bottom is being kept as a wildlife refuge.
Follow the path to the left and you will now be walking parallel with Underhill Road. To the right you will see a very large and stately tree: this is Tree Number 8, a hybrid black poplar, Populus x canadensis. Each June the whole area around it will be covered with 'snow' - fluffy white woolly seeds.
Further on to the right you will see Grave Number 12, the Dowton grave. It is in the shape of a chest with suitably classical details, since William Dowton was an architect in the City of London, as well as an active local politician. Unfortunately this unique stonework was dislodged by a falling tree and has lost some of its dignity and presence.
To your left in the middle you will see the nascent 'woodland' area where people have recently been able to bury their loved ones and then plant a tree over the remains.
To the left of the path is Grave Number 13, that of Sergeant Richard Ramsaroop who died in the Kegworth Air Disaster on 8 January 1989, when an attempted emergency landing failed.
Further on to the left is Grave Number 14, that of the Markillie family. The father, John, was once Mayor of Camberwell; also buried here are two sons who died in the Great War.
Continue straight on and left around the corner. To the right, in the south west corner by the Langton Rise and Underhill Road junction, the cemetery's mortuary once stood.
As you walk down, on your right and with a trunk rather camouflaged by ivy, is Tree Number 9, a buckeye, Aesculus sp. This tree is native to the eastern USA and might remind you of a horse chestnut; the buckeye too has 'conker' type fruits but without spines. This particular tree displays exquisite, narrowly tubular red flowers each April/May and is to be compared to the yellow buckeye, which we will see later. It is likely to be a red flowering form of the yellow species,
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or perhaps a hybrid. We are conducting a DNA test to determine its precise identity! (See our website for an update.)
At the bottom to the right is Grave Number 15, that of Liam MacCarthy. He was a cardboard box manufacturer from Peckham and a memorial was erected over his grave by the Gaelic Athletic Association, to commemorate his support for Irish sports. Incorporated in the memorial are small portraits of the 'Irish Martyrs' of the 1916 Easter Rising.
As you turn the corner at the bottom of this path, note the specially commissioned new cemetery gates at the Wood Vale entrance. These were designed by Moxley Architects who say the falling leaf symbolises both the meaning of the cemetery and its wooded setting. The lettering in the stone floor was carved by R Gray and Son, monumental masons who have had a workshop in this cemetery for many years.
“I shall remember whilst the light lasts and in the darkness I shall not forget.“
Now turn the corner and continue walking along the main path parallel with Wood Vale, where to your right you will see the newly established modern burial ground.
Further on to the right is the smart white grave of Alexander Dourof, the 'last of the sword swallowers'. This is Grave Number 16. A former performer in the Russian Royal Circus, Dourof ended his days better known as the owner of Dourof's Carpet Warehouse on Rushey Green in Catford!
Set back a little, near the Dourof memorial is Grave Number 17, that of William Kelly, who was Labour MP for Rochdale and an alderman on the London County Council. His headstone is now lying on the ground.
Continue straight ahead and further on to the left you will see Grave Number 18, that of Jozef Kovar. He was a Colonel in the Polish army and veteran of World War II, when he survived a Soviet POW camp in Siberia.
Next you come to a T junction. Turn right, keep straight on, and on the right is pink coloured Grave Number 19, the grave of Harry Quelch, Socialist and Trade Unionist. He was a founder member of the Democratic Federation whose recruits included William Morris and
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Eleanor Marx, daughter of Karl; in 1913 no less a figure than V I Lenin wrote an appreciation of him.
A few yards further down on the right is Grave Number 20, that of Revd John Ewings who was Pastor to the Rye Lane Baptist Church in Peckham from 1896 to 1916.
Further on to your right is Tree Number 10, a silver birch, Betula pendula. This is a tree native to Britain and was revered by pagan Celtic tribes. Its silvery white bark makes it easy to recognise.
Next you come to a series of three 'roundabouts'. Go to the extreme right and enter the roundabout nearest Wood Vale. Look to your right and you will see Tree Number 11, a yellow buckeye, Aesculus flava. Another native of the eastern USA, this tree, as the name indicates, has yellow flowers and is closely related to the red- flowering buckeye we saw earlier, again with the smooth, spineless 'conkers'.
To the right and close to the path is Grave Number 21, that of Arthur Wright, antiquarian and folklorist. His book 'English Folklore' is still in print; he also worked in the Patent Office.
Continuing on the roundabout then, on the other side, is Grave Number 22, that of Revd Thomas Bradbury, an Independent Minister who was Pastor of Grove Chapel, Camberwell, for over thirty years from 1874 to 1905.
When you have completed the circuit, continue straight ahead on the outside path.
Ahead on the right is Tree Number 12, the service tree of Fontainebleau, Sorbus latifolia, with its twin on the opposite side of the path. In spring the white down beneath the leaves makes the tree look silver; creamy white flowers follow and in the autumn attractive red berries are produced, to the delight of many bird species. Reckoned to be a hybrid of the wild service tree it was first identified in the area of the Ile de France, hence the name.
Further on to the right is Grave Number 23, that of Charles Waters who founded the International Bible Reading Association. With its fine sculpture, this is a Grade II listed monument and has recently been
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restored. In earlier years there was a road here to the right which led to the now demolished Chapel for Roman Catholics.
Carry on down and turn right on to an asphalt path. To the right is Grave Number 24, that of Fanny Kinghorne. She was the founder and for 36 years Superintendent of the Walworth Creche. Her husband Alexander, who was a comedian, is buried in the same grave. In 1867 he made his stage debut in 'Pygmalion' (not to be confused with G B Shaw's play), a musical burlesque by William Brough. Thence followed a varied career in opera, musicals and as a circus clown.
Then, on the right, you come to Grave Number 25, that of Revd John Munns, a Baptist Minister who was one of the earliest members of the National Union of Teachers.
Before you reach the stonemason's workshop ahead, note the veteran oak on the right, which is reckoned to be c300-400 years old.
To the left of this oak is Grave Number 26, that of Mary Jane Taylor who was a keen temperance worker among the poor. The headstone is now lying flat on the ground. Her father William Cash, a Quaker corn merchant who died in a cholera epidemic, is buried nearby but has no memorial.
To the left of Mary Jane is Tree Number 13, a silver maple, Acer saccharinum. In its native North American homeland its sugar-rich sap can be tapped to make maple syrup (although sugar maple - much less common in the UK - is the main source). The leaves have distinctively jagged teeth and may turn in the autumn with an impressive range of reds and yellows (depending on the weather!).
To the left of this is Tree Number 14, a box elder (USA) or ash- leaved maple, Acer negundo. Each leaf is made up usually of 3-5 leaflets. As with all maples the fruits are two-winged and generally prolific.
To the left of the stonemason's yard is Grave Number 27, that of Revd Henry Atherton, 1875-1933, an Independent Minister. For 20 years from 1912 he was Pastor of the Grove Chapel, Camberwell, and presumed successor to the Revd Bradbury, whose grave we saw earlier. He founded the Sovereign Grace Union, a non-denominational charity which still exists today.
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Walk back towards the main path across the grass and notice an oak tree which is gradually engulfing part of a grave. In front of you is Tree Number 15, a striking evergreen conifer with distinctive large, erect cones. This is a deodar, Cedrus deodara, a species of cedar introduced from the snowy slopes of the Himalayas, where it has traditionally religious significance.
Behind the deodar you will see a small hedge. Go to the end and as you look to your left you will see Grave Number 28 (Grade II listed) which belongs to the Horniman family. Frederick Horniman founded the eponymous Free Museum which he bequeathed to the people of London in 1901. The headstone once had an elegant art nouveau bronze relief plaque of an angel (perhaps a transfigured Rebekah herself), but the metal was stolen in a spate of thefts from both the old and new cemeteries in 2012. It is hoped that Historic England (qv) will eventually restore it.
As you walk around this circular enclosure you will see on the west side Grave Number 29, bearing the name of Mary Wingett Foxworthy. It is a notable example of the art nouveau style with a fine flower carving at the top. At the bottom end of the circle go through a gap in the hedge, and near to your right you will see Grave Number 30, that of William Harnett Blanch, 1836-1900. Born into a family of gun and rifle manufacturers, he was a prolific writer of books mainly about the local history of London. He boasts a blue plaque in Denman Road, Peckham, erected by the Peckham Society.
As you go towards the main gate you will see two large trees by the path, standing opposite each other. The one on your right is Tree Number 16, a horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum, which shows its white flowers, or 'candles', in spring. The foliage, as with all local horse chestnuts, is being attacked by the tiny white leaf miner moth; fortunately it will not kill the tree, although a myriad can be seen if you look closely at the trunk in the summer months.
The tree to your left is Tree Number 17, a red horse chestnut, Aesculus x carnea. This has red flowers in the spring and is a hybrid between the red buckeye and the horse chestnut. The resulting cross renders the tree unaffected by the leaf miner moth.
Now, you can leave by the main gate into Forest Hill Road. And thank you for your visit!
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Please feel free to leave any comments; and we would particularly like to hear from anyone who can contribute further information
about the cemetery and its graves. Do visit our website
ccwgroup.weebly.com
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Camberwell Cemeteries Working Group AKA Friends of COC @ccwgroup
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Camberwell Old Cemetery Tree List
1 Sweet Bay
2 London Plane
3 English Oak
4 Common Ash
5 Crack Willow
6 Common Hornbeam
7 Caucasian Lime
8 Hybrid Black Poplar
9 Mystery Buckeye
10 Silver Birch
11 Yellow Buckeye
12 Service Tree of Fontainebleau
13 Silver Maple
14 Ash-leaved Maple
15 Deodar
16 Horse Chestnut
17 RedHorseChestnut
Note: To help you locate these trees, see the map on the back cover of this booklet. Their numbers are marked on it.
This map was kindly provided to us by the London Borough of Southwark, and the green tree symbols are for illustration only - they do not represent the trees listed here.
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Camberwell Old Cemetery Grave List
1 Three Armenians of the Hentchakist Party of Armenia
2 Victims of WW I Zeppelin raid on Camberwell
3 Wall of War Graves
4 Albert McKenzie VC Royal Navy
5 John Manning Civil Engineer
6 Nellie and Nelson Tobias Francis Theatre Manager
7 James John Berkeley Railway Engineer
8 William Stanlake VC Coldstream Guards
9 7th Lord Rodney of 1st Life Guards
10 RobertAlexanderGrayJP'TheFatherofCamberwell'
11 Sidney William Smith Master Mariner
12 William Dowton Architect
13 Sergeant Richard Ramsaroop Royal Air Force
14 Markillie Family John, Mayor of Camberwell
15 Liam MacCarthy Box Manufacturer
16 Alexander Dourof Sword Swallower
17 William Kelly MP (Labour) for Rochdale
18 Josef Kovar Colonel in the Polish Army
19 HarryQuelchSocialistandTradeUnionist
20 Revd John Ewings Pastor to the Rye Lane Baptist Church
21 Arthur Wright Antiquarian and Folklorist
22 Revd Thomas Bradbury Pastor to Grove Lane Chapel
23 CharlesWatersInternationalBibleReadingAssociation
24 FannyandAlexanderKinghorne
25 Revd John Munns Baptist Minister
26 MaryJaneTaylorTemperanceWorker
27 Revd Henry Atherton Pastor to Grove Lane Chapel Camberwell
28 Frederick and Rebekah Horniman Horniman Museum
29 MaryWingettFoxworthy
30 William Harnett Blanch Historian
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The Camberwell Old Cemetery was established originally to provide much needed burial space for the citizens of the then parish of Camberwell. Hence the name, even though the cemetery is some miles away from the area known as Camberwell today. The graveyards of inner London were deemed full, so in 1855, thirty-one acres of meadowland were purchased by the newly appointed Burial Board and the first burial took place on 1 July 1856. The thinking behind the original design of the Victorian cemeteries is summed up below:
Before antibiotics became available in the 1940s, people were much more familiar with early death, especially amongst children of all classes, and a visit to the cemetery was an accepted regular activity. Landscaping and planting had, therefore, been carefully planned for dignity and to give solace to the mourners. (Quote from British Cemeteries, produced by the National Federation of Cemetery Friends.)
An excellent book about this cemetery has been written by Ron Woollacott. It is published by the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery and you can obtain a copy from them. The book gives a detailed history and also has a long list of the most notable persons buried in the Old Cemetery, giving more information than we have space for here.
The cemetery is a place of contrasts. Towards its northern end is a woodland area and a wildflower meadow. To the south is the modern burial ground with rows of new graves lined up very closely together. Between these areas you will find impressive and artistic monuments and some fine trees.
By 1984 over 300,000 people had been interred in the cemetery and there was no room left for further burials. A great number of the parish's poor had been placed in what are called 'public graves' but they were not usually allowed to have a memorial stone and are therefore invisible today. All the burials taking place now and planned for the future will be above the old public grave areas.
Daniel Greenwood, who grew up nearby and worked locally on nature conservation projects for London Wildlife Trust, writes as follows about the wildlife in Camberwell Old Cemetery:
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Wildflowers
As former meadowland, Camberwell Old Cemetery still has plants that indicate its long-term condition of grassland rather than woodland. Red clover, common bird's-foot-trefoil and selfheal are wildflowers important to pollinating insects and can still be found across the Cemetery. Mowing regimes are intensive which means these flowers are repressed, especially by the cutting which takes place in the summer months; but interesting plants can sometimes be found among the Victorian graves, with bees visiting the plants surviving amidst the stone.
Butterflies and Insects
Common species of butterfly can be found at the Cemetery, including red admiral, peacock, speckled wood, comma, gatekeeper, meadow brown, skippers, brimstone, holly blue and on occasion the common blue, no longer so common in East Dulwich. Butterflies need sunlight and flower-rich margins to prosper in places like the Cemetery. The hogweed, cow parsley, bramble and tree flowers are their staple sources of nectar. Other insects include the common bumblebees and a number of solitary bee species. In the decaying and dead wood and older trees of the woodland areas, beetles and nematodes are present, as well as spiders and other shade-dependent species.
Birds
The Cemetery is a vital local site for birds due to its mature trees providing nesting and roosting habitat and lots of fruit and seed to feed on. The graves on the ground are useful cover for ground-feeding birds like green woodpecker, redwing, blackbird, song and mistle thrush, starlings and members of the crow family. Lots of species are present, with sparrowhawk being a fairly common visitor. The woody slopes leading towards Peckham are good for warblers, tits and other small birds like goldcrest. Great spotted woodpeckers are a match for the flocks of ring-necked parakeet, creating new holes to nest in each year.
Bats
Bats are difficult to identify due to their nocturnal habits and the elusive nature of their communications. Bat detectors are required to allow humans to listen to their calls and thus confirm which species are present. Recent bat surveys have recorded soprano and common pipistrelles, as well as Leisler and perhaps the brown long-eared bat. Bats roost in tree holes, under peeling bark, in ivy and buildings. Roosts have been found in some of the older ash trees but the bats move around between roosting sites to avoid predators and maintain good hygiene. Their prey includes moths, mosquitos and other water-borne insects.
We have designed two walks for you to explore the cemetery. (The route here is the longer of the two; we hope to produce a second booklet in the future.)
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Most of the paths are in good condition, but there are four rough lanes leading from the open part of the cemetery into the woodland area. Visitors with certain types of disability might find these lanes difficult to access so we would suggest, in that case, you should stay on the main paths. Indeed, for visitors in general it is best to keep mainly to the paths, partly because it can get very muddy at times, and partly because it is not good for trees if the earth around them should get too impacted.
We have noted specific examples of certain tree species together with some of the many interesting gravestones. The numbered trees have labels on them and we give both the English and the botanical, or scientific, name which is understood throughout the world. If the tree is an evergreen we say so, otherwise the tree listed is what is called deciduous; that is, it loses its leaves in the winter. We hope when you walk around you will see some of the wildlife described above by Daniel.
The main gate into Camberwell Old Cemetery is in Forest Hill Road, London SE22 0RU. The gate posts and the lodge to the left (now owned privately) were designed in the Gothic Revival style by the eminent Victorian architect George Gilbert Scott. The lodge was used in the 1970s film of Joe Orton's 'Entertaining Mr. Sloane'.
Take the first path on your right which leads to a section containing private graves. If you look to your right you will see Tree Number 1, a large sweet bay tree, Lauris nobilis. The bay tree was introduced from the Mediterranean in 1562 and is an evergreen tree. The leaves, when crushed, have a rich fruity aroma and are used in cooking.
There are plans to reduce the grass cutting in the area to your left containing old graves, allowing a wild flower meadow to establish itself.
While on the path, if you look to your right, you will see Tree Number 2, a London plane, Platanus x hispanica. This tree sheds its bark regularly and this process enabled it in the past to survive the fabled London smogs. At the bottom of this one you can see a large swelling which gives it the name 'Baobab Plane', after the African tree of similar appearance. Some think this modified growth is caused by a viral infection; nonetheless, these burrs are prized for veneers in cabinet making.
3
When you get to the end of the first part of the path you will see Grave Number 1. This marks the grave of three Armenian exiles, members of the Hentchakist Party of Armenia (an independence movement), who were variously assassinated in the neighbourhoods of Peckham Rye and Nunhead by a member of a rival faction. The memorial is distinguished by a tall red obelisk which has recently been restored. (See Armenian Institute News, vol 7, 2009 for more information about these events.)
Behind this monument you can see Grave Number 2, a tapered column with a metal cross in a circle at the top. This commemorates civilians who lost their lives in a Zeppelin raid on Camberwell during the Great War; the names of the victims are listed on the back.
Behind that grave is Tree Number 3, an English oak, Quercus robur. The Druids held the oak to be sacred and its timber later became an important construction material due to its strength and durability. You will see a number of English oaks as you walk around the cemetery and some are very old indeed.
Moving down the path, look to your right and you can see Grave Number 3, in the form of a wall inscribed with the names of those who fell in the Great War. Those victims listed on the east side are buried near to the wall and have no individual stones. Those named on the west side are buried elsewhere in the cemetery, while to the side are some small gravestones of those who died in World War II.
In front of the wall area is Grave Number 4, belonging to Albert McKenzie, born in Bermondsey, and who received the first ever London VC for conspicuous gallantry at Zeebrugge, Belgium. He was also the first sailor to be awarded the VC by the votes of his comrades. A statue in his honour was unveiled in Tower Bridge Road, Bermondsey, on 23 October 2015.
To the left of the wall you can see Tree Number 4, a large common ash tree, Fraxinus excelsior. Even in winter you will be able to identify an ash tree by its distinctive, large black buds.
Walk to the end of this section and by the junction with the main path is Grave Number 5, that of John Manning who was a civil engineer. The grave has a tall stone cross, dignified in its simplicity, 'balancing' on top of a vault.
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Stand in front of this grave and look to the right: you will notice Grave Number 6, the fallen pink grave of Nellie and her husband Nelson Tobias Francis, manager of the Empress Theatre Brixton and who died in 1926.
A playbill from 1910 shows that Harry Lauder and Marie Lloyd were performing there.
Turn right and walk up the main path: on the right is Tree Number 5, a crack willow, Salix fragilis, whose shoots will readily snap off and can, in the right environment (usually riverine) root to form a new tree.
Carry on up the main path to the roundabout: looking to your left you will find the toilets, and on this site used to stand a Church of England Chapel, which was demolished after suffering bomb damage in WW II.
Near to these toilets is Grave Number 7, with a Grade II listed monument to James John Berkeley who was appointed Chief Engineer of the the Great Indian Peninsular Railway in 1849.
Turn right at the roundabout to enter the second green lane into the woodlands. Note the very special oak to the left; it is well screened by ivy and could be more than 200 years old.
Quite soon, on the right and at the end of a small clearing, you will see Grave Number 8, that of William Stanlake who was awarded the VC for bravery in the Crimean War. This hero, who was clearly quite poor, received a public burial and as usual there would have been no gravestone. However, his regiment the Coldstream Guards obtained permission to erect one and they still visit to maintain it.
As you go down this lane you should see, depending on the time of year, a variety of wild flowers and butterflies (see Daniel Greenwood's notes above) and a broad range of trees such as willow, oak, ash, holly and sycamore.
Turn left at the bottom of the lane and then take a right turn into the meadow. Looking around the area you should spot many wild flowers and grasses, also the four new English oak trees which have been planted toward the west behind the houses on the south side of Ryedale. When you see these look to your left and walk towards what is at present a waste bin, when you can rejoin the main path and
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then go straight ahead up the third leafy lane. Note the very large honeysuckle, excellent for pollinators, to the left of the path. You might want to detour to the right here, and enjoy a moment in the adjacent, atmospheric woody glade. Rejoin the lane noticing more oaks, aged over 100 years, and then on back to the main part of the cemetery.
Across the main path just to the left is Grave Number 9, the Rodney grave. Lying on the ground is a life-sized marble figure of a soldier in uniform. This represents 7th Lord Rodney (1857-1909) who was a military man of the 1st Life Guards and a hereditary peer, ultimately impecunious. He was living on Denmark Hill at the time of his death.
Turn right and walk up the main path towards the Underhill Road side. Where the road divides you will see Grave Number 10, that of Robert Alexander Gray JP, known as 'The Father of Camberwell'. He suggested the construction of this cemetery and was the first chairman of the Burial Board. A female figure, now headless, lies at the base of the monument.
Behind this grave is Tree Number 6, a common hornbeam, Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata'. This example shows a cultivated form with near-vertical branching, known as 'fastigiate'. The name 'hornbeam' derives from the Anglo-Saxon words for 'hard tree', as the wood is very hard and was (and is yet) used for tool handles, chopping blocks, gear wheels and other objects requiring very tough properties.
Carry on walking up the main path towards Underhill Road always keeping to the right. Note on your left Grave Number 11, that of Sidney William Smith who was a Master Mariner. His grave has an anchor design on the memorial: a conventional funerary icon for those of the maritime world. Note also the large English oak opposite.
Further on to the left is Tree Number 7, a Caucasian lime, Tilia x euchlora (sometimes also called a Crimean lime). The 'x' of the scientific name means this is a 'crossed' or hybrid tree, the result of breeding together two different species of the many in the lime family. The foliage is glossy and not aphid-friendly, unlike other limes!
When you get to the top of the path you will see to your right an area which is fenced off. This is designated as 'Area Z', and was a public
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burial ground when past mismanagement of the cemetery allowed a huge pile of building debris to be dumped there illegally. Southwark Council is presently carrying out their plan to prepare this area for new private graves, although a section at the bottom is being kept as a wildlife refuge.
Follow the path to the left and you will now be walking parallel with Underhill Road. To the right you will see a very large and stately tree: this is Tree Number 8, a hybrid black poplar, Populus x canadensis. Each June the whole area around it will be covered with 'snow' - fluffy white woolly seeds.
Further on to the right you will see Grave Number 12, the Dowton grave. It is in the shape of a chest with suitably classical details, since William Dowton was an architect in the City of London, as well as an active local politician. Unfortunately this unique stonework was dislodged by a falling tree and has lost some of its dignity and presence.
To your left in the middle you will see the nascent 'woodland' area where people have recently been able to bury their loved ones and then plant a tree over the remains.
To the left of the path is Grave Number 13, that of Sergeant Richard Ramsaroop who died in the Kegworth Air Disaster on 8 January 1989, when an attempted emergency landing failed.
Further on to the left is Grave Number 14, that of the Markillie family. The father, John, was once Mayor of Camberwell; also buried here are two sons who died in the Great War.
Continue straight on and left around the corner. To the right, in the south west corner by the Langton Rise and Underhill Road junction, the cemetery's mortuary once stood.
As you walk down, on your right and with a trunk rather camouflaged by ivy, is Tree Number 9, a buckeye, Aesculus sp. This tree is native to the eastern USA and might remind you of a horse chestnut; the buckeye too has 'conker' type fruits but without spines. This particular tree displays exquisite, narrowly tubular red flowers each April/May and is to be compared to the yellow buckeye, which we will see later. It is likely to be a red flowering form of the yellow species,
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or perhaps a hybrid. We are conducting a DNA test to determine its precise identity! (See our website for an update.)
At the bottom to the right is Grave Number 15, that of Liam MacCarthy. He was a cardboard box manufacturer from Peckham and a memorial was erected over his grave by the Gaelic Athletic Association, to commemorate his support for Irish sports. Incorporated in the memorial are small portraits of the 'Irish Martyrs' of the 1916 Easter Rising.
As you turn the corner at the bottom of this path, note the specially commissioned new cemetery gates at the Wood Vale entrance. These were designed by Moxley Architects who say the falling leaf symbolises both the meaning of the cemetery and its wooded setting. The lettering in the stone floor was carved by R Gray and Son, monumental masons who have had a workshop in this cemetery for many years.
“I shall remember whilst the light lasts and in the darkness I shall not forget.“
Now turn the corner and continue walking along the main path parallel with Wood Vale, where to your right you will see the newly established modern burial ground.
Further on to the right is the smart white grave of Alexander Dourof, the 'last of the sword swallowers'. This is Grave Number 16. A former performer in the Russian Royal Circus, Dourof ended his days better known as the owner of Dourof's Carpet Warehouse on Rushey Green in Catford!
Set back a little, near the Dourof memorial is Grave Number 17, that of William Kelly, who was Labour MP for Rochdale and an alderman on the London County Council. His headstone is now lying on the ground.
Continue straight ahead and further on to the left you will see Grave Number 18, that of Jozef Kovar. He was a Colonel in the Polish army and veteran of World War II, when he survived a Soviet POW camp in Siberia.
Next you come to a T junction. Turn right, keep straight on, and on the right is pink coloured Grave Number 19, the grave of Harry Quelch, Socialist and Trade Unionist. He was a founder member of the Democratic Federation whose recruits included William Morris and
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Eleanor Marx, daughter of Karl; in 1913 no less a figure than V I Lenin wrote an appreciation of him.
A few yards further down on the right is Grave Number 20, that of Revd John Ewings who was Pastor to the Rye Lane Baptist Church in Peckham from 1896 to 1916.
Further on to your right is Tree Number 10, a silver birch, Betula pendula. This is a tree native to Britain and was revered by pagan Celtic tribes. Its silvery white bark makes it easy to recognise.
Next you come to a series of three 'roundabouts'. Go to the extreme right and enter the roundabout nearest Wood Vale. Look to your right and you will see Tree Number 11, a yellow buckeye, Aesculus flava. Another native of the eastern USA, this tree, as the name indicates, has yellow flowers and is closely related to the red- flowering buckeye we saw earlier, again with the smooth, spineless 'conkers'.
To the right and close to the path is Grave Number 21, that of Arthur Wright, antiquarian and folklorist. His book 'English Folklore' is still in print; he also worked in the Patent Office.
Continuing on the roundabout then, on the other side, is Grave Number 22, that of Revd Thomas Bradbury, an Independent Minister who was Pastor of Grove Chapel, Camberwell, for over thirty years from 1874 to 1905.
When you have completed the circuit, continue straight ahead on the outside path.
Ahead on the right is Tree Number 12, the service tree of Fontainebleau, Sorbus latifolia, with its twin on the opposite side of the path. In spring the white down beneath the leaves makes the tree look silver; creamy white flowers follow and in the autumn attractive red berries are produced, to the delight of many bird species. Reckoned to be a hybrid of the wild service tree it was first identified in the area of the Ile de France, hence the name.
Further on to the right is Grave Number 23, that of Charles Waters who founded the International Bible Reading Association. With its fine sculpture, this is a Grade II listed monument and has recently been
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restored. In earlier years there was a road here to the right which led to the now demolished Chapel for Roman Catholics.
Carry on down and turn right on to an asphalt path. To the right is Grave Number 24, that of Fanny Kinghorne. She was the founder and for 36 years Superintendent of the Walworth Creche. Her husband Alexander, who was a comedian, is buried in the same grave. In 1867 he made his stage debut in 'Pygmalion' (not to be confused with G B Shaw's play), a musical burlesque by William Brough. Thence followed a varied career in opera, musicals and as a circus clown.
Then, on the right, you come to Grave Number 25, that of Revd John Munns, a Baptist Minister who was one of the earliest members of the National Union of Teachers.
Before you reach the stonemason's workshop ahead, note the veteran oak on the right, which is reckoned to be c300-400 years old.
To the left of this oak is Grave Number 26, that of Mary Jane Taylor who was a keen temperance worker among the poor. The headstone is now lying flat on the ground. Her father William Cash, a Quaker corn merchant who died in a cholera epidemic, is buried nearby but has no memorial.
To the left of Mary Jane is Tree Number 13, a silver maple, Acer saccharinum. In its native North American homeland its sugar-rich sap can be tapped to make maple syrup (although sugar maple - much less common in the UK - is the main source). The leaves have distinctively jagged teeth and may turn in the autumn with an impressive range of reds and yellows (depending on the weather!).
To the left of this is Tree Number 14, a box elder (USA) or ash- leaved maple, Acer negundo. Each leaf is made up usually of 3-5 leaflets. As with all maples the fruits are two-winged and generally prolific.
To the left of the stonemason's yard is Grave Number 27, that of Revd Henry Atherton, 1875-1933, an Independent Minister. For 20 years from 1912 he was Pastor of the Grove Chapel, Camberwell, and presumed successor to the Revd Bradbury, whose grave we saw earlier. He founded the Sovereign Grace Union, a non-denominational charity which still exists today.
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Walk back towards the main path across the grass and notice an oak tree which is gradually engulfing part of a grave. In front of you is Tree Number 15, a striking evergreen conifer with distinctive large, erect cones. This is a deodar, Cedrus deodara, a species of cedar introduced from the snowy slopes of the Himalayas, where it has traditionally religious significance.
Behind the deodar you will see a small hedge. Go to the end and as you look to your left you will see Grave Number 28 (Grade II listed) which belongs to the Horniman family. Frederick Horniman founded the eponymous Free Museum which he bequeathed to the people of London in 1901. The headstone once had an elegant art nouveau bronze relief plaque of an angel (perhaps a transfigured Rebekah herself), but the metal was stolen in a spate of thefts from both the old and new cemeteries in 2012. It is hoped that Historic England (qv) will eventually restore it.
As you walk around this circular enclosure you will see on the west side Grave Number 29, bearing the name of Mary Wingett Foxworthy. It is a notable example of the art nouveau style with a fine flower carving at the top. At the bottom end of the circle go through a gap in the hedge, and near to your right you will see Grave Number 30, that of William Harnett Blanch, 1836-1900. Born into a family of gun and rifle manufacturers, he was a prolific writer of books mainly about the local history of London. He boasts a blue plaque in Denman Road, Peckham, erected by the Peckham Society.
As you go towards the main gate you will see two large trees by the path, standing opposite each other. The one on your right is Tree Number 16, a horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum, which shows its white flowers, or 'candles', in spring. The foliage, as with all local horse chestnuts, is being attacked by the tiny white leaf miner moth; fortunately it will not kill the tree, although a myriad can be seen if you look closely at the trunk in the summer months.
The tree to your left is Tree Number 17, a red horse chestnut, Aesculus x carnea. This has red flowers in the spring and is a hybrid between the red buckeye and the horse chestnut. The resulting cross renders the tree unaffected by the leaf miner moth.
Now, you can leave by the main gate into Forest Hill Road. And thank you for your visit!
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Please feel free to leave any comments; and we would particularly like to hear from anyone who can contribute further information
about the cemetery and its graves. Do visit our website
ccwgroup.weebly.com
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Camberwell Cemeteries Working Group AKA Friends of COC @ccwgroup
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Camberwell Old Cemetery Tree List
1 Sweet Bay
2 London Plane
3 English Oak
4 Common Ash
5 Crack Willow
6 Common Hornbeam
7 Caucasian Lime
8 Hybrid Black Poplar
9 Mystery Buckeye
10 Silver Birch
11 Yellow Buckeye
12 Service Tree of Fontainebleau
13 Silver Maple
14 Ash-leaved Maple
15 Deodar
16 Horse Chestnut
17 RedHorseChestnut
Note: To help you locate these trees, see the map on the back cover of this booklet. Their numbers are marked on it.
This map was kindly provided to us by the London Borough of Southwark, and the green tree symbols are for illustration only - they do not represent the trees listed here.
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Camberwell Old Cemetery Grave List
1 Three Armenians of the Hentchakist Party of Armenia
2 Victims of WW I Zeppelin raid on Camberwell
3 Wall of War Graves
4 Albert McKenzie VC Royal Navy
5 John Manning Civil Engineer
6 Nellie and Nelson Tobias Francis Theatre Manager
7 James John Berkeley Railway Engineer
8 William Stanlake VC Coldstream Guards
9 7th Lord Rodney of 1st Life Guards
10 RobertAlexanderGrayJP'TheFatherofCamberwell'
11 Sidney William Smith Master Mariner
12 William Dowton Architect
13 Sergeant Richard Ramsaroop Royal Air Force
14 Markillie Family John, Mayor of Camberwell
15 Liam MacCarthy Box Manufacturer
16 Alexander Dourof Sword Swallower
17 William Kelly MP (Labour) for Rochdale
18 Josef Kovar Colonel in the Polish Army
19 HarryQuelchSocialistandTradeUnionist
20 Revd John Ewings Pastor to the Rye Lane Baptist Church
21 Arthur Wright Antiquarian and Folklorist
22 Revd Thomas Bradbury Pastor to Grove Lane Chapel
23 CharlesWatersInternationalBibleReadingAssociation
24 FannyandAlexanderKinghorne
25 Revd John Munns Baptist Minister
26 MaryJaneTaylorTemperanceWorker
27 Revd Henry Atherton Pastor to Grove Lane Chapel Camberwell
28 Frederick and Rebekah Horniman Horniman Museum
29 MaryWingettFoxworthy
30 William Harnett Blanch Historian
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