West Cemetery was opened in 1858 by the Darlington Burial Board. The lodge and chapels were designed by local architect J P Pritchett and the grounds laid out by Mr Joseph Bowker of Scarborough. The circa 15 hectare site is laid out into a rectilinear grid of paths and drives set about a broad drive which extends from the main entrance to the east. The chapels are located in the north-east corner. The cemetery was extended to the west in the late 19th century, with further extensions to the west by 1912 and again to the south in 1939. The grounds were divided into three equal portions by paths running north-south, with the eastern portion being consecrated for use by the Church of England, the central portion for Non-Conformist use and the western portion for Catholics. A number of chapel buildings and a crematorium stand on the site. The cemetery was added to English Heritage's Historic Parks and Gardens Register in 2003. (1)

A Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial cross was erected in 1951 dedicated to the First World War dead of the town. A wall was also installed, bearing the names of men who died in WW2 and were cremated (2-3).

During the Second World War the mortuary was used as an emergency mortuary. (4)