Parish cemetery

The current cemetery for the combined parish lies in a quiet and secluded location midway between Wonersh and Blackheath, situated between Barnett and Derry’s Hills.

Administration

  • Burial records and liaison with funeral directors are managed by the Parish Administrator.

  • Grounds maintenance is overseen by the PCC, with practical care provided by the St John the Baptist Buildings Committee.

  • The Cemetery Chapel was refurbished in 2005 by a team of volunteers. Fencing was renewed in 2006.

Burial Regulations and Access

  • Burials are governed by the Church of England Churchyard Regulations.

  • Owing to historical ties, burial rights also extend to certain individuals from Chilworth and Bramley.

Historical Overview

  • 1861: The churchyard at St John the Baptist, Wonersh, was closed for burials. A new churchyard opened at Shamley Green the same year.

  • 1881: Shamley Green became an ecclesiastical parish with its own registers, though Wonersh registers continued to record burials until 1900.

  • 1893: St Martin’s Blackheath opened, and its parishioners also used the cemetery.

  • 1900: The current cemetery site was donated by Mrs Sudbury, licensed by the Bishop of Winchester on 1 February 1900, with the first burial (Joseph Clarke) on 15 July 1900.

Cemetery Chapel

  • Gifted by Mr Henry Prescott and built in 1900.

  • Not formally dedicated until 1919, when it was consecrated as “All Souls Chapel” by the Bishop of Guildford.

  • The chapel remains largely unused today but stands as a quiet focal point within the grounds.

Burial Records and War Graves

  • Burial records from 1900 to 1950 are available on this website.

  • A full, up-to-date list of graves, along with a detailed cemetery plan with plot numbers, is held in the Wonersh Church Office.

  • Three Commonwealth War Graves are located here, maintained with support from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, for:

    • CPO Thomas Bramble

    • Marine Frederick Balchin

    • Private Wilfred Covey

Extensions

  • 1933: Additional land was donated by Mrs Beatrice Cook of Barnett Hill, and the Beatrice Elliott Cook Trust was established to support future development.

  • 2001: Further land was conveyed from the estate of the late Commander Varley RN, along with a bequest intended as a memorial to his aunt, Mrs Frances Steward, daughter of Beatrice Cook.

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