#west norwood catacombs

[hollcwboy]

the west norwood catacombs are a subterranean network of burial 95 vaults and passages under west norwood cemetery in the south of london. the gothic revival style of the cemetery stands out as being particularly haunting, and these catacombs can house 3500 lead-lined coffins, many of which contain the bodies of small pox victims.

this incredible historical site is where lockwood & lucy will be exploring in chapter 7, which will be out tomorrow on my ao3!

[londiniumlundene]

West Norwood Cemetery

Like the other garden cemeteries of London that would become known as the “Magnificent Seven”, West Norwood Cemetery was constructed in response to the health concerns surrounding overcrowded burial grounds in the city centre. In 1836, the South Metropolitan Cemetery Company acquired land in the Norwood area – which was at that time largely open countryside. The grounds were landscaped to the plans of architect William Tite, who also designed some of monuments, using a Gothic Revival style that set the cemetery apart from many of its contemporaries, where Classical architecture was favoured.

The cemetery opened in December 1837, and its unique design and more rural location quickly attracted the attention of rich and aspirational Victorians, and the grounds soon filled up with impressive memorials and monuments. For those who did not want to lie in the earth, both the Anglican and Dissenters chapels – prominently perched on top of a central hill – came with catacombs underneath. However, the Dissenters catacombs were never very popular, and in 1915 the few internments there were moved to the Anglican catacombs to make way for a gas cremator – making West Norwood Cemetery home to the first modern crematorium in south London.

Though expansive, by the mid-20th Century, the number of available plots was rather low. Further adding to the cemetery’s problems, during the Second World War, V1 flying bombs caused extensive damage to the main gates and resulted in the destruction of the original Dissenters Chapel and crematorium. The dilapidated Anglican Chapel was demolished in 1960. With little source of income, the Cemetery Company could no longer afford the cost of upkeep, so in 1965 the cemetery was compulsorily purchased by Lambeth Council.

The Council’s management of the cemetery was controversial - they removed around 10,000 monuments, including some of that were listed (meaning they should not have been touched), and then resold existing plots for re-use. In several 1990s court cases, these actions were found to be illegal, and new burials were ceased. Lambeth Council was also held responsible for restoration of some damaged or removed monuments, and to allow for descendants of historic owners to be able to identify and request restitution of their family's plot.

Today, new burials are only allowed in previously purchased, uncontested plots. The crematorium, rebuilt in the 1950s, continues to operate as one of the main crematoriums in south London. Through the work of the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery, numerous monuments have been repaired or restored. It is now an interesting landscape to wander through, a combination of Gothic, Classical and modern styles sitting between the many different trees and shrubs. Notable people who can be found there include the culinary writer Mrs Beeton, sugar merchant and art gallery founder, Sir Henry Tate, the inventor of the automatic machine gun, Sir Hiram Maxim, prolific founder of hospitals, Dr William Marsden, potter Sir Henry Doulton, and creator of Bovril, John Lawson Johnston. 

[mynocturnality]

Coffins in the underground catacombs of the West Norwood Cemetery, London. (est 1837.)

⚜ Victorian month on @mynocturnality

[bad-moodboard]

The catacombs at West Norwood Cemetery, Konstantin Binder.

[ladylilitu]

Picture post of 4 of the Magnificent 7

Abney Park 2008

Highgate West 2015

West Norwood Cemetery 2016

Brompton Cemetery 2017

Bonus pic ~ catacombs of Brompton 

[lancastergate]

London’s Magnificent 7: The Best Graveyards In The City

Despite sharing a name with a very popular group of gunslingers, the Magnificent 7 in the city of London means something very different. A taphophile is the term given to someone who likes to explore graves, cemeteries or tombs, and there is no judgement here. Exploring cemeteries is a great way to explore a lost culture, and learn about the inhabitants of previous generations when visiting an area. 

Whatsmore, London’s cemeteries have some pretty amazing graves and some pretty amazing inhabitants. So make the most of the best London accommodation Lancaster UK has on offer, and explore the city’s past from the Park Grand London Lancaster Gate. The public transport links are incredible, so visiting the Magnificent 7 is a very easy thing to do! Let’s find out what makes these cemeteries special!

Abney Park Cemetery

The first cemetery in the UK to house an arboretum, it was partially abandoned for a period of time- ironically making it even more incredible. Nature started to reclaim the area, meaning it still has an eerie feel even for a graveyard. Incredible architecture and a wild urban feel give this place a unique vibe. 

Brompton Cemetery

One of Britain’s oldest garden cemeteries, Brompton is actually one of the few that is still open for interment. Containing 35,000 graves spanning several centuries as well as several Grade II listed buildings, this is a special piece of London’s history. 

Highgate Cemetery

Highgate is perhaps the most well known of the 7- not least because of the people buried there. The cemetery is actually a nature reserve and it shows. The trees and plants are allowed to grow, ivy covers the headstones and nature is in control. There are roughly 50,000 graves including the likes of famed author Douglas Adams and novelist Geroge Eliot.  

Kensal Green Cemetery & Catacombs

Built to honour a cemetery in Paris, Kensal Green is a gorgeous piece of architecture before anything else. The home of 2 neoclassical chapels, 65,000 graves, 3 catacombs and several mausoleums. The final resting place of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Oscar Wilde’s mother and the man who crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope. 

Nunhead Cemetery

One of the smallest cemeteries on the list, but also one of the prettiest. Nearly 2,000 gravestones once filled the area, although now some parts are so overgrown you could easily miss them. Offering views of St Paul’s through the trees, it’s a great place to explore! 

Tower Hamlets Cemetery

Despite its relatively small size this cemetery is actually the final resting place of over 250,000 people. Situated in one of the poorest areas in London public graves were the only option for lots of people. The overgrown nature of this cemetery gives off a spooky vibe.

West Norwood Catacombs

West Norwood was the world’s first Gothic style cemetery. It used to contain chapels, but these were badly damaged in the war. The catacombs survived and the braver explorers among you can still descend and see the piles of coffins. Home to many famous names, this is really worth a visit.   

If you’re staying in the best Hotels In Lancaster England you are well situated to see the city. So ensure that you make full use of your Hotels Near Lancaster Gate Station London, and explore the city’s past. These cemeteries will scare and enchant you in equal measure, so get out there and explore!  

[m58]

‘Poem for Shell’ (top) and ‘To See the Ghost’ by Chris McCabe.

Chris McCabe was born at Mill Road Hospital in Liverpool, in 1977, on the site of a Victorian workhouse. His poetry collections are The Hutton Inquiry, Zeppelins, THE RESTRUCTURE (all Salt Publishing) and, most recently, Speculatrix (Penned in the Margins) which was commended in the Forward Prize. He has recorded his work for the Poetry Archive and was shortlisted for The Ted Hughes Award in 2013 for his collaborative book with Maria Vlotides, Pharmapoetica. He is writing a series of creative non-fiction books that aim to discover a great lost poet in one of London’s Magnificent Seven cemeteries. This began in 2014 with In the Catacombs: a Summer Among the Dead Poets of West Norwood Cemetery (which was selected as an LRB Bookshop book of the year) and was followed in 2016 with Cenotaph South: Mapping the Lost Poets of Nunhead Cemetery. His first novel, Dedalus, is forthcoming from Henningham Family Press in 2018. With Victoria Bean he is the co-editor of The New Concrete: Visual Poetry in the 21st Century (Hayward Publishing, 2015) and he is also the author of The Affairs of Dylan Thomas (Red Fox Press 2017), a series of collages, poetry collages and visual poems.

[markpauldaphotography]

A Gentleman Visits Brompton Cemetery in West London

If you are a Beatrix Potter fan, you'll want to explore Brompton Cemetery, which is located within one of London's most affluent boroughs. The cemetery is one of the "Magnificent Seven" garden cemeteries, built in a ring around London during the 1830's to ease the city's overcrowded graveyards.  Today, there are about 35,000 gravestones, catacombs, stoned arches and even a chapel.  

Brompton is the resting place for a number of well-known people.  Eighteenth-century gentleman boxer John Jackson and cricket champion John Widen are buried here.  Some of the names on gravestones may seem familiar for a cherished literary reason.  The cemetery inspired the local writer, Beatrix Potter, with names for some of her characters.  Peter Rabbett, Jeremiah Fisher, Mr Nutkins, Mr Brock and Mr McGregor have all been found on the stones at Brompton Cemetery.  Miss Potter lived nearby from 1863 to 1913 confirming local rumours that have made the rounds for years about the source of the names of her characters. The cemetery also offers a public green space.  It is not uncommon to find picnickers, strolling Londoners or even people taking their own short rest on a bench.  The site is also a popular habitat for a variety of bats, amphibians, invertebrates, moths and a plethora of birds.  Bees thrive in the cemetery and the cemetery has its own apiary, and delicious honey is available during cemetery open days.  Also, expect to find more than sixty species of trees.

  More than this, Brompton is a dream if you love architecture.  The cemetery is one of the earliest examples of a landscape architect and traditional architect working together.  Designed by Benjamin Baud and John Claudius Loudon, the inspiration for the cemetery was taken from St Peter's in Rome.  The Roman influence can be seen in the existing layout of colonnades and a central avenue leading to the chapel.  The architecture and green space are two top reasons why I love visiting Brompton Cemetery.  No pun intended, but it is a peaceful way to spend part of a day or even an entire day.  I often take a lunch and I always have my camera. Brompton Cemetery was originally designed to accommodate some 60,000 plots in a combination of common and private graves, closely spaced in tidy rows.  Plots on the east side were designated as ‘private’ graves, sold ‘in perpetuity’ with heritable deeds; these could be up to 19 feet (5.8m) deep, typically to contain brick-lined vaults beneath large monuments or mausolea. This encouraged wealthy families to build grand monuments and mausolea to accommodate several generations, as enduring symbols of worldly affluence and prestige. Brompton Cemetery is thus now distinguished by some 35,000 monuments, from modest headstones and ledgers to substantial family mausolea. On the west, large sections of cheaper ‘common’ graves accommodated several unrelated coffins in one deep cut with no right to erect a monument above; some were dug almost 22 feet (7m) deep to take up to ten adult burials. There are very few actual paupers’ graves.  

** What are London's Magnificent Seven Cemeteries?  Highgate, Nunhead, Brompton, Abney Park, Kensal Green, Tower Hamlets and West Norwood.  These cemeteries make up a ring of suburban garden cemeteries that opened between 1833 and 1841, on the cusp of the Georgian and Victorian eras. Where is Brompton Cemetery? The 39-acre site lies between Old Brompton and Fulham Roads, on the western border of the Royal Borough of Kensington and  Chelsea. The nearest London Underground & Overground station is West Brompton (District Line, Wimbledon branch, and London Overground), to the west on Old Brompton Road: turn right on leaving the station, and the North Gate and Lodges are within two minutes’ walk. Earl’s Court Station (Piccadilly and District Lines) is within ten minutes’ walk to the north: turn left out of the Warwick Road entrance and walk south along Warwick Road to Old Brompton Road. Map Showing the Location of Brompton Cemetery in London ::

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[ossumbunz-blog]

Inside the catacombs of West Norwood cemetery, London.

[deadliveevents]

Lost Forgotten Abandoned Displaced Decayed Neglected Discarded Disrepair Inside the catacombs of West Norwood cemetery, London

[ladylilitu]

4 of the Magnificent 7

A Ranking:

West Norwood Cemtery ~ you can go everywhere and explore it (apart from the Catacombs, ooookay), there are wonderful monuments and mausolea, it has the Greek Section with an abundance of most beautiful sepulchral art, it is quiet and there aren’t many people (living people)

Highgate Cemetery ~ it is really really lovely as well, especially Highgate West. It really is in hot pursuit of West Norwood but you can only visit Highgate West on a guided tour. I had a very cool guide and a nice group and up until I visited West Norwood, I thought nothing could top that but alas ... having a private guide and splendid weather and learning and seeing so much during a day on West Norwood Cemetery it simply took the trophy from Highgate Cemetery, sorry about that. But yes, it is a close-run. 

Abney Park ~ this one is lovely but sadly so run down, too run down. There is the fine line between too well kept and too run down. I don’t know how much may have changed since I had been there but when I was there it was a cruising ground for gay people and we also saw syringes and other things there which were really unpleasant. I really felt for the people who have loved ones buried there. We saw a note saying “please stop stealing the flowers, my husband and my 2 sons are buried here” and we saw a lot of sings of vandalism. Strange people followed us around. We felt admittedly spooked. 

Brompton Cemetery ~ well, the first 2 set the bar really high! And in all honesty I must say that West Norwood Cemetery and Highgate Cemetery play in totally different league. Brompton Cemetery was really noisy, there were so many people there even though the weather wasn’t half as great as when I visited West Norwood. There are people cycling and jogging, walking their dogs. Noisy kids! It has the lovely collonades and the Great Circle, yes, but it is basically like a huge football field and not really winding, you certainly can’t get lost there. A bit boring, haha. And this one was a bit too well kept ;) 

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