The Grade II listed burial ground was completed in 1917 as part of a larger, unexecuted, scheme to receive Muslim soldiers who died of their wounds in the United Kingdom following action in the Great War. The design, comprising an entrance in the style of a chattri and walled enclosure with decorative minaret towers at each corner, was by architect T. Herbert Winny, India Office Surveyor, carried out under the personal direction of Sir Abbas Ali Baig.
Only seventeen soldiers were interred as the Indian hospitals closed shortly after the cemetery opened. A further five Muslim soldiers were interred in WW2. Unfortunately, due to vandalism all those buried were moved to Brookwood Cemetery in the late 1960’s and the structure was left to deteriorate with a large quantity of brickwork having been robbed-out.
The conservation project included substantial reconstruction based on photographic evidence. This included; the repair and reconstruction of the walls in brickwork and Portland stone to match; Specialist graffiti removal; Replacement oak gates; stone and render repairs to the chattri and minarets concluding with topping out and fixing of the ornate gilded finial. A landscaped memorial garden by landscape architects Terra Firma completed the project before its royal opening in 2015.
The project initiative was a collaborative venture by Woking Borough Council in partnership with Horsell Common Preservation Society to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.
Photographs of the completed scheme were kindly re-produced with permission from Davon Bree of the Terra Firma Consultancy.
