I first spotted this charming old churchyard from the window of a bus in 2015, and it was love at first sight. The moment I finally stepped into it on a misty March day in 2016, I was absolutely mesmerized – it was like a scene straight out of a classic English ghost story… Unfortunately, armed with only an old phone camera that refused to cooperate with freezing fingers, I left with just a handful of not-so-great photos and a promise to return.

But life got in the way – until last week, when I had an appointment in a health centre nearby. As excited as I was to revisit, what I found left me totally heartbroken – this once-enchanting place had undergone a transformation so tragic it felt like a personal loss… I felt compelled to do some research – and here’s what I found:

The story of Wembley churchyard begins with Frances and Anne Copland, two sisters who inherited quite the fortune after their father’s passing and used it to benefit the local community. They built several amenities, including a hospital and a workers’ institute promoting self-improvement by training apprentices, and even housing the first local library.

In 1846, Wembley was still mostly rural when St John the Evangelist Church was built, marking its separation from Harrow, once one of the largest parishes in Middlesex. The Copland sisters not only donated the land and funded the church’s construction, but they also hired George Gilbert Scott (later famed for the Albert Memorial and St Pancras station!), along with William Lambie Moffatt, to design it. The north aisle was added in 1859, the south aisle followed in 1900, and a westward extension came along in 1935.

In 1887, a new burial ground was established right next to the churchyard. Known today as Wembley Old Burial Ground, it’s separated from the original St John the Evangelist churchyard by a simple pathway. They are separated on findagrave.com, so check both when looking for someone.

In addition to funding the church building, the Copland sisters also built a parish school (which sadly burned down in 1971), the Sexton’s house, the mortuary, and the Brigade Hall – all of which were demolished by the 1990s.

Fast forward to the mid-2000s, and the once-tranquil graveyard became the site of some truly disturbing events! In the peak of vandalism in Wembley, some sickos were smashing memorials, and – wait for it! – LITTERING THE GROUNDS WITH DEAD ANIMALS! Yup – six pig, goat and sheep heads, with other animal body parts such as feet, have been found strewn across the grounds of St John only throughout 2008.

The churchyard also became a HQ of some holy shrubbery social club… The vicar regularly complained to the authorities about teenagers drinking, partying, and even having sex behind the church, while at the same time junkies camped out in the overgrown bushes, using spaces between the monuments as an open-air toilet, and leaving stinky surprises there… Yuck! There were even press articles about it!

In an attempt to stop the ‘Graveyard Gone Wild’ fest, police and council officers increased patrols, while cemetery staff cleared bushes to make the area less secluded and shady. Eventually, a hideous fence was installed ‘to smarten up and secure a church and graveyard. (…) The client was experiencing vandalism and graffiti on a regular basis, so a solution was found to both secure the area and ensure that the railing fence was attractive’ – as it was cheerfully described on the contractor’s website…

ATTRACTIVE?! Nope. Just a big, fat nope.

But was it worth it? Well, judging by the scattered beer bottles, empty cans, and a mattress I saw, it seems the verdict is still pending…

The burial ground is surprisingly spacious, hemmed in by rows of houses on three sides and the bustling Wembley High Road on the fourth. It looks lovely from the street, with its charming cast iron railings and a picturesque lychgate dating back to the church’s early days. If you can manage to tune out the hum of buses, cars, and chatter from passers-by, you’ll catch a glimpse of its former glory – a wistful echo of a classic country churchyard. Oh, what a sight it must have been in its heyday!

The church itself, a Grade II listed heritage site, is in a fine form, with interiors as beautiful as ever. But the churchyard? It’s appalling, especially that utterly hideous, mood-killing fence! Who approved that eyesore??? And then muddy puddles and scattered rubbish everywhere are giving a neglected vibe. It’s all heartbreaking, really…

Some of the monuments I remember from 2015 have vanished into thin air, other are inaccessible – the rest is cracked, eroded, or have toppled over completely, now lying flat on the grass… There’s still a glimmer of beauty left amidst the decay, though – but how long will it last?

The greenery in the older section is seriously impressive, featuring sturdy horse chestnuts, the delicate small-leafed lime (a rarity among Britain’s trees!), majestic oaks, false acacias, walnuts, ash, yews, and even two fig trees! All of them beautifully covered with ivy.

The newer section has ivy-covered trees clinging to the borders, with some shrubs thrown in between. There’s maybe three trees more centred, plus a few sad, lifeless trunks lying flat on the grass – I guess they’re supposed to match with the horizontal monuments. Maybe a flat lay cemetery style’s a thing now?

Bushes? Not a single one in sight – likely the result of an infamous ‘anti-vandalism clear-out’. But nature’s got a cheeky sense of humour and fights back with a flourish! In warmer months, the grasslands put on a delightful display of wildflowers, adding a lovely touch of whimsy to these bare vibes. Among these blooms are cuckooflowers – rare little gems in inner London.

There’s quite a bustling wildlife scene here! The cemetery is filled with birdsong even in January – mostly with fleeting of bullfinches and chaffinches, while woodpeckers drum away on tree trunks. Squirrels are running around, and one of them followed me everywhere – I was under constant supervision for an hour! The place seems to be home to a friendly cat, and I even had the privilege of spotting a cheeky fox strutting through the grounds – in broad daylight! It’s safe to say that nature’s still making the most of this place.

Well, this churchyard isn’t exactly bursting with historical names! I’m actually a little surprised that none of the Copland sisters, who were behind the creation of it, decided to rest here. Instead, they opted for joining their father at Kensal Green. So, it seems that the only well-known person here is…

From these Coplands??? Not exactly, but also… sort of! The Copland sisters lived in Sudbury Lodge, a grand house they built right in the heart of what is now Barham Park. Upon their passing, it was inherited by General Crawford, but since adding the name Copland was one of the requirements, he turned himself and the rest of his family into Copland-Crawfords on this occasion. General lived there until his death and his ghost is still seen strolling through Barham Park, his former gardens…

He’s buried in Wembley Old Cemetery together with his wife, Jean (d. 1896), and their three sons, who sadly passed young within few years (1894, 1894, and 1897). General’s name is kept alive with Crawford Avenue.

St John the Evangelist Churchyard is home to a poignant Cross of Sacrifice, dedicated to the brave souls who lost their lives during both World Wars. There are 22 graves from World War I and one from World War II scattered throughout the churchyard, each one a stark reminder of the young men who perished too soon. Some of the inscriptions are deeply moving, especially considering that many of these soldiers were mere teenagers, cut down in the most unimaginable ways.

One such heartbreaking story is that of JAMES FRED LACEY who tragically died in 1916 at only 16 years old, aboard HMS Chester during the Battle of Jutland. He was the only son of James and Agnes Lacey, and I can’t even imagine their grief… The inscriptions on his grave reads: ‘STRAIGHT FROM BOYHOOD’S YEARS TO NOBLE MANHOOD – DAD’ – a simple phrase, yet so full of pain… *weeping*

Nothing here, I’m afraid…

There’s no widely available information confirming that any films, documentaries, or series have been filmed here, and no record of feature in well-known novels or poetry. Oh, I wish I have time to check local archives and all the books on London’s lesser-known spots! Seriously, I just can’t believe that this charming Victorian cemetery has never inspired anyone, so I’m giving it 2 points in advance, before finding out for sure – and if there’s nothing out there, I’ll just paint it myself!

• SIR GEORGE GILBERT SCOTT, the brilliant architect behind St John the Evangelist Church, not only designed the iconic Albert Memorial and St Pancras Station, but also St Nicholas’s Cathedral in Hamburg – the tallest building in the world at the time! His grandson, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, designed the iconic red telephone box!

• The lovely wooden porch-like entrance gate at St John’s is called a LYCHGATE (from the Anglo-Saxon word lych meaning ‘corpse’) and is a characteristic feature of traditional English churchyards since Middle Ages. It was here that bodies due for burial would be placed, but they were also used as a meeting point and shelter for mourners. They symbolise the threshold between the secular and sacred zones of a parish – the worlds of living and the dead. The lychgate at St John’s is on the National Heritage List for England, along with the front boundary wall.

• The phrase ‘GOD’S ACRE’ inscribed on the lychgate comes from the German Gottesacker (‘Field of God’). It’s a gentler term for a burial ground, highlighting its natural, field-like quality rather than focusing on its morbid function.

VICTOR SILVESTER, a ballroom dancing legend, was born right here in the St John’s vicarage (sadly no longer standing, but it was where the community centre is now), where his father was a vicar between 1896 and 1944!

Victor went on to become the first-ever winner of the World Ballroom Dancing Championships, and from there, he helped to shape the rules of competitive dancing. He also wrote Modern Ballroom Dancing, which became the ultimate “bible” on the subject and has been updated and printed in more than 60 editions over the years.

But Victor didn’t stop there. Realising that dance music often lacked the necessary strict tempo (the all-important beats per minute), he formed his very own Ballroom Orchestra to provide the right rhythm at live events. Soon, he also bagged himself a recording contract. Throughout his 50-year career, Victor sold an astonishing 75 million records! He also had his own TV show and 23 dance studios across the UK – one of them was located in the ballroom at the Majestic Cinema on Wembley High Road (demolished in 1962, now Wilkinsons) where he would sometimes conduct his orchestra.

Victor’s dedication earned him an OBE for his services to ballroom dancing. He left an indelible mark on the industry, with putting a ‘strictly’ to the dancing being his biggest legacy. What a shame he’s not buried here, where he was born! He rests at Golders Green Crematorium instead.

I couldn’t find any records on hauntings… but there’s this old folk belief that the spirit of the last person buried in the graveyard becomes its guardian – standing at the lychgate, until another deceased is buried and takes over the role.

If that’s true, a certain old lady has been stuck playing ghostly gatekeeper since June 1991… Well, at least she’s not bored with the hustle and bustle of the High Street! But one can only imagine the scenes she must have witnessed during the ‘Graveyard Gone Wild’ era… Bless her – she’s probably seen more than enough of drunk teenagers making out in the bushes!

It’s truly heartbreaking to see this lovely churchyard seemingly erased from memory! Not a single mention in any of my books on London’s cemeteries, forgotten in pieces on Wembley’s history, and even its picturesque lychgate is overlooked in articles on the subject. Even the parish’s website says NOTHING about its origins! How is that possible???

And while this historically significant site lies in neglect, a cluster of flashy new buildings – including a vicarage and a community centre brimming with eco-tech – appeared right next to it recently! Seriously, council, what’s going on here?

And this isn’t just about St John’s – same with Barham Park and its library (originally home of the Copland sister’s father), or the demolition of Sudbury Lodge. It feels like someone’s trying to erase every shred of Wembley’s heritage. While billions have been poured into transforming Wembley Park into a sleek hub of modernity, the area’s historical treasures are abandoned and left to decay – or worse, ‘secured’ with measures that completely ruin their character.

It’s a disgrace, plain and simple. Let’s just hope that St John the Evangelist’s burial ground won’t be flattened in favour of yet another fancy block of unaffordable rental flats…

PS. If a visit to St. John’s graveyard leaves the taphophile in you craving more, you’re in luck! Hop on the Bakerloo line from Wembley Central and in just three stops you’ll arrive at Kensal Green Cemetery – the grandest and oldest of the iconic Magnificent Seven. As a bonus, you can also explore the adjacent St Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. Prefer the charm of smaller churchyards? Catch a ride on the 18 or 182 bus and head to my personal favorite, St Mary’s Willesden – it’s well worth the trip!

MAIN SOURCES:

• Wikipedia.org
• Brent.gov.uk
• Wembleymatters.blogspot.com