New lease of life for Victorian cemetery

A £6.2m project has seen West London’s Brompton Cemetery restored to its original glory, once more revealing its architectural splendour, uncovering listed monuments and structures, and conserving its historic landscape and wildlife haven for the local community.

The four-year project to restore the Grade I-listed cemetery, where more than 200,000 people are laid to rest, was part funded by the Heritage Lottery and Big Lottery funds with an investment of £1.7m from The Royal Parks – the charity which manages the Victorian cemetery – along with generous donors, and support from The Friends of Brompton Cemetery.

The cemetery has subterranean catacombs where, since 1840, more than 500 coffins have been deposited, the last one in 1926. Many of the triple-shelled coffins are covered in velvet, and in some cases the original floral tributes still survive, revealing how the Victorians commemorated their loved ones and their attitudes to death.

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The cemetery off Old Brompton Road features a new café and visitors’ information centre and a exciting programme of events.

Find out more on the website.

Did you know?

Family history researchers can search burial and cremation records, including register scans, maps to locate graves and some photographs of monuments, memorials and headstones, on the Royal Parks Brompton Cemetery database.

Image © The Royal Parks