Cemeteries

Chingford Mount Cemetery and Queens Road Cemetery gate opening times 

As the gates will be locked at the times stated in order to secure the cemetery, all visitors and their vehicles are asked to leave the cemetery in good time. No person is permitted to be in the cemetery outside the published opening hours.

It may be necessary at times to lock the gates earlier than stated due to circumstances beyond our control. If this is necessary appropriate notices will be displayed advising visitors of this.

The Council reserves the right to limit public entry or to close the cemeteries at any time.

Chingford Mount Cemetery office opening hours

Monday to Thursday: 9:30am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm
Friday: 9:30am to 12pm (open for Funerals 1pm to 3pm)
Closed for Bank Holidays and Public Holidays

Cemetery rules and regulations

Read our cemetery rules and regulations guide (PDF)

Burials

Only residents of the borough can get new graves and cremated remains plots. The deceased must have lived in Waltham Forest when they died. We will need to see proof of residency.

Chingford Mount Cemetery Map

Chingford Mount Crematorium

Waltham Forest Council is proposing a new crematorium at Chingford Mount Cemetery. The 18-hectare cemetery was established in 1884 and came under council ownership in 1977. It is Waltham Forest Council’s only operational cemetery, and it is anticipated that it will run out of available burial space within the next eight to 10 years.

Find out more about the new crematorium proposal (PDF). 

Read our frequently asked questions in relation to the proposal (PDF).

On Tuesday 14 January, planning permission was granted for a new crematorium at Chingford Mount Cemetery, located on Old Church Road. This will be the first of its kind in Waltham Forest and will help ensure the future of the current, much-loved cemetery as a final resting place for local people.

The new crematorium has been designed with care and sensitivity, offering essential services to support the community during times of bereavement and grief. Visitors will benefit from a serene chapel and beautifully landscaped gardens, providing a peaceful space for quiet reflection.

We are confident that this development will be a valuable addition to our community, providing a compassionate and thoughtful environment for all.

Key dates:

• Planning Determination: January 2025
• Contract Award: 30 May 2025
• Main Construction: June 2025
• In Use: June 2026

View the proposed site view of the new Crematorium (PDF)

Walthamstow Queens Road Cemetery

This cemetery is now full and unable to accept new graves.

Walthamstow Queens Road Cemetery Map

Memorials, headstones and inscriptions

You must contact us if you want to erect a memorial or add an extra inscription to a headstone, even if you own the grave.

We will need to check the memorial or inscription to make sure it complies with our cemetery regulations.

Guidelines for memorials

Our guidelines for memorials are:

• Headstone - marble, granite, or other stone to measure:
  Lawn Grave height 36” maximum, width 30” maximum, thickness 4” maximum
  (For dimensions of Traditional Graves and Burial Chambers, please contact our Cemetery office)
• vase - marble or granite to measure: 8” x 8” x 8” mandatory.
  no more than two are allowed per grave
• temporary memorials in a wooden cross, can be erected providing they are not more than 36” in high

Memorial maintenance

The grave owner is responsible for:

• maintaining headstones, kerbs or other memorials
• arranging suitable repairs when necessary
• removing these to a safe  place outside the cemetery grounds unless laid down directly and safely on the plot

Memorial safety

Under current UK Health and Safety legislation, it is a requirement that suitable inspections are conducted in all burial grounds in the UK. 

Experienced operatives carry out inspections and will be carried out sensitively, in accordance with national guidance.

 The impact of inspections should hopefully be minimal, however, there will be occasions where memorials are found to be unsafe. 

Where found unsafe, we will take steps to make them safe, which may involve re-jointing memorials, setting memorials in the ground or, where necessary, laying them flat. 

Where memorials are clearly visited, steps will be taken to try to contact family members to allow them to carry out a proper repair.

Chingford Mount - burials price list

• Brochure and prices (Word file)
• Price list (PDF)

London Borough of Waltham Forest Cemeteries became a member of the Charter for the Bereaved in May 2024. 

The Charter is run by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM). 

A vital function of the Institute is to set standards of service for the industry, and the development and implementation of the Charter for the Bereaved has achieved this.

To become a member of the Charter for the Bereaved, a burial and/or cremation authority or company must show that it can satisfy basic Charter rights connected with funerals. The Charter also contains objectives and targets that help authorities to set priorities for future development and improvement.

Members of the public can be assured that an authority or company that has adopted the Charter is committed to providing excellent service designed to meet their needs.