East Finchley Cemetery

East Finchley Cemetery is a 19-acre burial ground in East Finchley, managed by the City of Westminster though it lies in the London Borough of Barnet. The cemetery opened in the 19th century on land once part of Newmarket Farm, designed by architects Barnett & Birch after a competition. Two Lebanon Cedar trees mark the front lawn, and the crematorium opened in 1937. The site contains Grade II listed structures including an Anglican chapel, gates and lodge. It holds about 22,000 interments and remains open for burials today. The cemetery is notable for its historic monuments and famous names. Among those buried or cremated here are actor Robert Donat, suffragette Fanny Houston, scientist Thomas Henry Huxley and conductor Leopold Stokowski. The graves include memorials by sculptors such as William Reid Dick and Edwin Lutyens. A Green Flag Award was given in three consecutive years for its management and conservation. Visitors walk among cedars and monuments set on gently sloping ground. The northwest corner contains a War Graves plot with 75 First World War and 79 Second World War burials. A Screen Wall memorial lists 20 Second World War cremations whose graves lack headstones. The cemetery also supports local wildlife and plant propagation for Westminster’s parks.