Hidden Jewish cemetery in Dalston set for restoration and public access

A small triangle of land hidden behind high walls in Dalston is to be opened up and restored following a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The plot of land is the historic Balls Pond cemetery, a Grade II-listed site recognised by Historic England in 2020, is the most significant burial ground of the Jewish Reform Movement and the resting place of many of its pioneers. The West London Synagogue of British Jews was founded in 1840 as the first Reform Jewish Community in the UK. Balls Pond Road Cemetery was founded in 1843 and closed for burials over a century later in 1951.

The funding, secured by Islington Council and the West London Synagogue, will restore and maintain the site and develop it as a cultural and educational resource.

According to a report commissioned by Historic England, “some of the most eminent people in British society, whose public work and efforts for general welfare made history, are buried in the cemetery along with leaders and influential thinkers of British Judaism, key players in the struggle for Jewish emancipation and Jewish pioneers in their professional fields.”

Still enclosed by its original high brick walls, the cemetery’s rows of both upright and horizontal grave markers reflect the Ashkenazi and Sephardi cultural mix of WLS’s founders. A glance at the graves within reveals a rich blend of stone styles and inscriptions in languages including Hebrew, English, Spanish, German and French.

The general layout and many of the 900 monuments are intact, though the cemetery’s prayer hall suffered a direct hit by a German bomb during the Second World War and was destroyed.

Today, the nearly 200-year-old walls surrounding the cemetery urgently need strengthening, while various trees and ivy branches next to and around the walls need to be stripped back and cleared.

The £190,731 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will allow the work to get started.

Cllr Jenny Kay, a ward councillor in Mildmay who was involved in the securing of the grant, said: “This grant marks a significant milestone in our partnership with the West London Synagogue.

“We aim to revitalise the cemetery, engage the local community and bring attention to on an often-overlooked part of British-Jewish history.

“This project is not just about preservation – it’s about restoring a vital community asset and ensuring the site becomes a resource that benefits all communities.”

The restoration will be the first stage of work at the site.