It is a fine example of an urban Victorian cemetery and has a formal layout of paths and walkways that lead to a central chapel modelled after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Like Highgate Cemetery, this graveyard was commissioned in the mid 1800s in a plan to construct fine cemeteries around the edge of London to cope with the rising population and death rate that was overtaxing the existing city graveyards.

There are over 35,000 monuments in the cemetery and many prominent people are buried here; you might find the grave of Samuel Cunard, founder of the famed Cunard Line, or that of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.

This 39-acre site is not just the final resting place for many Londoners; it is also a haven for wildlife. Its quiet park like setting makes it an ideal home for all kinds of wildlife; foxes, squirrels, butterflies, and many varieties of birds can be seen living in the cemetery.

One interesting fact is that Beatrix Potter lived near the cemetery and took many of the names of her animal characters from the tombstones. Search the headstones and you may find Mr. Nutkins, Mr. McGregor, and even a Peter Rabbett in residence at the cemetery.

The Gothic architecture of the buildings and memorials has proven irresistible to many moviemakers, and you can see bits and pieces of the cemetery in many popular films. “Goldeneye”, “Johnny English”, and “The Wings of the Dove” all had scenes filmed at the cemetery, as does the adaptation of Anthony Horowitz’s “Stormbreaker”.

Although it is mainly used as a park these days, the cemetery is still open for burials; single and family plots are available, as well as cremation plots.

This famous cemetery is one of the grandest Victorian graveyards in the city and should certainly be on the list of anyone interested in that era of history and architecture.

Brompton Cemetery

Address: Fulham Road, Fulham, SW10 9UG

Telephone: 020 7352 1201

Opening Times

Summer: 8am-8pm | Winter: 8am-4pm.

Photo courtesy: Loz Flowers

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