Willesden Cemetery buildings awarded Grade II protected status

Gothic-style funerary buildings at Willesden Jewish cemetery have been granted protected status to mark 70 years since the listed system was introduced.

The United Synagogue has welcomed news that the North West London site has been given Grade II status alongside five other historical buildings across the UK.

The site contains the graves of a number of historical Jewish figures, and is the first of the US’ cemeteries to receive the recognition.

Among those buried there include Julius Vogel, the first Jewish Prime Minister of New Zealand; Lionel de Rothschild, one of the first Jewish Members of Parliament; Jewish scientist Rosalind Franklin who helped discover DNA; Hannah Rosebery, once the richest woman in the world; and Jack Cohen, founder of Tesco’s, among other notable names.

Speaking about the announcement, US Director responsible for Burial, David Kaplan said: “I’m delighted that our beautiful Willesden Cemetery has received this recognition from Historic England.”

“Willesden Cemetery contains many significant figures and a wealth of history which is now protected and as a result will ensure that we can continue to showcase the Jewish contribution to British society for generations to come.”

In 2015, The United Synagogue, which runs the cemetery, was given more than £320,000 to restore the Cemetery, one of London’s most important Victorian Jewish landmarks.

The protected status system was first started as an emergency “salvage list” to protect significant places during post-war reconstruction. The most recent announcement was made by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on the advice of Historic England.

The other four sites granted protected status include a London cabbie shelter erected in 1906, Underhill, an underground house built in 1973, along with Stockton-on-Tees wireless station in County Durham and Pillwood House in Truro, Cornwall.