Hortus Cemetery, Southall
by IanAWood
Hortus Cemetery was established as a new burial ground for Southall in 1944. A drive leads from the main entrance of the cemetery with floral beds to the south and to the north a line of ornamental trees; south of the entrance is a rather elaborately laid out formal rose garden with a fan of beds in a semi-circle surrounded by clipped yew hedging and some ornamental conifers, overlooked by a raised paved area with a concrete planter. Otherwise Hortus Cemetery is laid out with grid of paths and little planting other than the odd ornamental tree and no notable tombs to speak of. The eastern half of the cemetery is separated from roads and housing by a screen of cypress trees (Leylandii) on three sides. In 1986, the first Muslim burials took place here in a dedicated area and additional space for Muslim graves was allocated in 2008, arranged in association with the Central Jamia Mosque, the only place in Southall offering a full Muslim burial service.
