West Norwood cemetery

Having an interest in old, historical cemeteries in London, it is my intention to visit the Magnificent Seven. This is an informal term applied to seven large private cemeteries in London, see more on Wikipedia. The first one I visited was Nunhead Cemetery.

The next to be ticked off the list was West Norwood cemetery. This is in the borough of Lambeth and was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London and was one of the first cemeteries in the world to use Gothic style.

The Gothic interior gates -

The cemetery was established in 1836 and has more than 42,000 graves. The cemetery is closed to new burials but the crematorium still operates, and cremation plots are still available. There are also catacombs, see more on Subterranea Britannica and Friends of West Norwood Cemetery who used to run occasional tours to the catacombs.

Some of the more elaborate memorials near the main entrance -

There are many prominent people buried in the cemetery, including doctors, engineers, scientists, builders etc. This is the mausoleum for Sir Henry Doulton's family. Doulton was the manufacturer of Royal Doulton pottery. The mausoleum is constructed of terracotta and pottery and is Grade II listed.

In the same area is a modern headstone to Mrs Beeton, famous for her 1861 work "Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management".

Conifer shading several graves -

These are near the Beetons' grave -

I missed the grave of Sir Henry Tate, sugar magnate and founder of London's Tate Gallery. This is the sarcophagus of Captain John Wimble on Ship Path, and is grade II listed. Wimble sailed to Bengal. The carving of the ship is rather elaborate -

The cemetery is also a site of nature conservation value.