View report page

34
(156.) Woking cemetery—Established under special Act of Parliament, 1852.
The cemetery is situated at Brookwood, Surrey, some distance to the west of Woking.
It adjoins the South-Western railway station at Brookwood, and there is a special railway siding
into the ground. The company have made arrangement with the railway company for the conveyance
of the dead from London to the cemetery, and possess a private station with suitable
waiting rooms for the use of mourners in Westminster-bridge-road. In connection with the
station there is also mortuary accommodation, the provision of which enables relatives to have
the removal of the body from the dwelling effected at night previous to the day of interment,
when friends attending the funeral assemble at the station. By this means the disadvantages
attendant on the ordinary funeral procession are removed.
The cemetery is situated on high ground, and is surrounded by open country. The soil
consists of fine sand, forming part of the upper Bagshot beds which extend over a considerable
area in this part of Surrey. On excavation it is found to be quite dry for a considerable depth,
but it is stated that in parts of the cemetery, before they are drained, moisture is reached at a
depth of 6 to 7 feet from the surface. This may extend for a few feet downwards when the ground
again becomes dry. The ground is drained at varying depths. At the date of visit a main drain
was being laid in a trench excavated to a depth of 10 to 12 feet. The drains discharge into a
brook, which eventually joins the river Wey.
The total area of the cemetery is as follows—300 acres have been enclosed for use as a
cemetery, and there are 200 acres in reserve. In addition the land adjoining, which comprises
several hundred acres, is the property of the company, and this could be utilised for burial
purposes if required. Of the 500 acres, it is estimated that fully 400 are yet unburied in, while
50 acres of the ground already used are still available for further interments.
The area of ground allowed for each grave is in all cases 9 feet by 4 feet.
The custom of interring a number of bodies of persons not belonging to the same
family in a common grave before it is closed does not exist at this cemetery ;
in other words, there are no common graves. The different classes of grave may
be divided into those in regard to which the exclusive right of burial in perpetuity
is purchased and those in regard to which this right is not purchased, the latter including
graves for the burial of paupers. In the case of the former the grave may be any depth
which the relatives require. The deepest is 20 feet, and this is quite exceptional; the majority
are 8 to 10 feet, but it is stated that the tendency amongst that portion of the community purchasing
graves at this cemetery is to purchase plots of ground of an area sufficiently large to
allow a separate grave to each person rather than to have a single grave excavated to a depth
sufficient for the same number. These private graves, if intended for more than one body, may
be re-opened at any date for a second interment. The graves which are not purchased are usually
dug to a depth of 6 to 8 feet. In this case also, if a relative desires to bury another member of
the same family in the grave, and there be sufficient depth to allow compliance with the requirements
of the Act that no coffin is to be within 54 inches of the surface, the grave would be reopened,
but this only infrequently occurs, and usually not more than one body is interred in each
grave. The company have power under their Act to use this ground again after
an interval of 10 years. Up to the present, however, no ground already buried in has been
disturbed within 20 years of the last interment.
The number of interments during 1897 was 3,534.
(157.) Woodgrange cemetery—Opened about 11 years ago.
Situated on the south side of Romford-road, near to the point where it is crossed by the
Tilbury and Southend Railway. This cemetery, Manor-park and the City of London cemeteries
are all in close proximity to each other.
The ground is flat, and the soil consists of river gravel and sand. It is stated that it is not
drained.
Information has not been received as to the area of the ground nor as to what amount is
still unbunied in. There is a good proportion of the total area which appears not to have yet been
used, but the rate of burial is said to be increasing, and the ground is filling up rapidly. A
large n umber of persons from Upton-park, Leyton, East Ham, and the East-end of London is said
to be buried here.
The area of private graves is said to be 6 feet 6 inches by 2 feet 6 inches, with lateral
intervals of 1 to 1½ feet and 1½ to 2 feet between rows. Common graves are 7 feet by 3 feet, with
1½ feet intervals between.
The depth of private graves is usually 10 feet, and of common graves 15 feet. It is stated
that under the regulations applying to this cemetery the burial of more than six adult bodies in
one grave is not allowed.