thumb|right|250px|The former chapel of rest at the Ascension Parish Burial Ground

The Ascension Parish Burial Ground, formerly known as the burial ground for the parish of St Giles and St Peter's, is a cemetery off Huntingdon Road in Cambridge, England. Many notable University of Cambridge academics are buried there, including three Nobel Prize winners.

Although a Church of England site, the cemetery includes the graves of many non-conformists, reflecting the demographics of the parish in the 19th and 20th centuries, which covered much of West Cambridge.

It was established in 1857 while the city of Cambridge was undergoing rapid expansion, although the first burial was not until 1869. and is a designated city wildlife site. and responsibility for its upkeep was transferred to Cambridge City Council.

The former chapel of rest is now used as the workshop of letter-carver Eric Marland.

Graves and memorials of notable individuals

A

thumb|right|Grave of astronomer [[John Couch Adams and wife Eliza Adams ]]

  • John Couch Adams, astronomer, discoverer of Neptune, Lowndean Professor. He is unique in also having a commemorative memorial in Westminster Abbey
  • Hugh Kerr Anderson, physiologist, Master Gonville and Caius College. her husband Peter Geach is buried with her.
  • Edwin Keppel Bennett, noms de plume: Francis Bennett, Francis Keppel, Fellow and President of Gonville and Caius College.
  • Jack A. W. Bennett, New Zealand born literary scholar, a member of the informal Oxford literary group, the Inklings, Fellow of Magdalen College.
  • Arthur Christopher Benson, 28th Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge noted for writing the words of the song "Land of Hope and Glory". Fellow of St John's, mathematician
  • James Bethune-Baker, theologian, Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity and Dean of Pembroke College. plant physiologist, Fellow of St John's.
  • Joan Boulind CBE, fellow and tutor at Hughes Hall, Cambridge.
  • John Buckley Bradbury, Downing Professor of Medicine. Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and wife Augusta Sophia, née Prescott (a descendant of Oliver Cromwell)
  • John Burnaby, Dean of Trinity College, Cambridge, Regius Professor of Divinity, and wife Dorothy Burnaby, née Lock; also her brother Robert Heath Lock is buried in the same grave
  • Geoffrey Bushnell, archaeologist and ethnologist, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Bursar and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge physicist, musician
  • Neville Chittick, scholar, archaeologist
  • Richard Chorley, quantitative geographer, Vice-Master, Sidney Sussex College
  • Sir Derman Christopherson FRS, engineering scientist, Master Magdalene College (1978–1985) and his wife Frances, Lady Christopherson
  • Sarah Clackson Coptologist; first wife of James Clackson, Secretary of Friends of Ascension Parish Burial Ground.
  • Sir William Henry Clark, civil servant. FRS, Professor of Mechanism and Applied Mechanics, Professorial Fellowship at King's.

F

  • Michael James Farrell, Economist, recovered from polio after being in an iron lung. Composer, Musical Scholar.
  • Jean Grove, Glaciologist, Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge. Older sister of the historian Margaret Spufford. Buried beside her mother Mary Clark, her niece Bridget Spufford, and her son Richard Grove.
  • Richard Grove, Environmental historian. Buried beside his mother Jean Grove, and together with his grandmother Mary Clark and cousin Bridget Spufford
  • Henry Melvill Gwatkin, Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Historian, theologian, conchologist. Mathematician, Sadleirian Professor, Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge.
  • Frederick Gowland Hopkins, Biochemist, Nobel Prize winner for discovery of vitamins.
  • Tristram Frederick Croft Huddleston, Classicist and Censor of Fitzwilliam House 1890–1907.
  • Sir Richard Jebb, Regius Professor of Greek (Cambridge), Classicist, Member of the Cambridge Apostles. FRS, Professor of Chemistry, Fellow and President of St John's College, Cambridge and his wife Catharine
  • John Bascombe Lock, Bursar of Gonville and Caius College, author of books on trigonometry, Chair of Addenbrooke's Hospital. Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, mathematician and clergyman

M

thumb|Gravestone of philosopher [[G. E. Moore OM and wife Dorothy Moore]]

  • Alexander Macalister, Professor of Anatomy, Cambridge University, Egyptologist, Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge.
  • Jeremy Maule, English scholar and teacher; Fellow and Lecturer in English, Trinity College.
  • Edwin Arthur Maxwell, Mathematician; Director of Studies in Mathematics, University of Cambridge, Honorary Fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge.
  • John Eyton Bickersteth Mayor, Professor of Latin, Antiquarian, early vegetarian and President of St John's College, Cambridge.
  • Sir Geoffrey Fitzhervey de Montmorency Indian Civil Service
  • William Loudon Mollison, Master of Clare College, Cambridge
  • G. E. Moore, philosopher, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, Member of the Cambridge Apostles, the intellectual secret society.

N

  • Hugh Frank Newall, Professor of Astrophysics, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.

R

  • Sir Leon Radzinowicz FBA, Criminologist, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
  • Arthur Stanley Ramsey Mathematician and philosopher, President of Magdalene College. FRS, Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, Anthropologist, Neurologist, Ethnologist, Psychologist
  • David Roberts, architect and fellow of Magdalene College.
  • Walter William Rouse Ball, Mathematician, author on the History of Mathematics, endowed professorships.
  • Isabel May Griffiths Seltman, wife of Charles Seltman, art historian, fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge and a University Lecturer in Classics.
  • Gerald Shove, economist and Member of the Cambridge Apostles, the intellectual secret society, and Fredegond Shove, poet, step-daughter of Sir Francis Darwin; her mother was Lady Darwin, formerly Florence Maitland;
  • Walter William Skeat, Philologist, Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon. Mathematician and Recorder of Ascension Parish Burial Ground, buried in her mother's grave (Lucy Slater, Classicist Vice-Chancellor and Master St. John's College: 1881 to 1908, Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge, mathematician and Hebrew scholar
  • Harold McCarter Taylor Mathematician, Barrister, a Fellow of Clare College, (cremated remains)
  • Henry Martyn Taylor, Mathematician, braille expert.
  • Arthur Woollgar Verrall, Classicist, Member of the Cambridge Apostles, King Edward VII Professor of English Literature.
  • John Wisdom (cremated), Professor of Philosophy, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, philosopher, and Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College.