These two adjoining cemeteries were founded within a month of each other in 1858, and were amalgamated in 1948. Deptford Cemetery (renamed Brockley Cemetery in 1965 on the formation of the London Borough of Lewisham) lies to the west and Ladywell Cemetery to the east. The line of the old dividing wall is marked by a grassy ridge, but very few paths cross the old boundary, despite each cemetery having a good path network – a legacy of their previous separate existence.The site contains a variety of fine, mature (chiefly non-native) trees with grassland and planted shrubbery beneath and between.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries
Borough: Lewisham
Grade: Borough Grade I
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 14.87 ha
Description
Wildlife
Brockley Cemetery is quite wooded with densely planted trees including sycamore, horse-chestnut, holly, hybrid black poplar and lime. Beneath the denser areas of trees are ivy and bramble, and in more open areas rough grassland dominated by false oat-grass and cock's-foot is found. Wildflowers in this area are often those tolerant of some shading, such as cow parsley, garlic mustard and green alkanet.Ladywell Cemetery is more open with fewer trees and shrubs. There are also patches of acid grassland here, uncommon in inner London. This is characterised by species such as sheep's-sorrel, common cat's-ear, lady's bedstraw and abundant red fescue.A few tombstones and walls have plants growing on them, usually stonecrops, which attract butterflies and hoverflies. The grassland areas abound with invertebrates, including the marbled white butterfly and the wasp spider.The site attracts a variety of birds including green woodpecker and the nationally declining spotted flycatcher.Facilities
Toilet; sculptures/ monuments.
No photo yet available for this site
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