Brompton Cemetery

Brompton is another of the "Magnificent Seven" Victorian cemeteries that were privately owned and developed around London. They are all surprisingly nice to visit, as well as actually accessible even in Lockdown. They are great for wildlife in London, they are architecturally interesting and of course there is interest in exactly who was buried. They are a time capsule of social history.

Compared to Tower Hamlets this one is quite open, and it seems to have fallen less into the romantic state of dereliction than Highgate. It has a wide pathway right up the middle, but for me had one annoying feature. It is very much open to cyclists, who use it as a highway and come hurtling through.

Anyway, pictures are better than words for this so here are my snaps.

The cemetery is overlooked by Stamford Bridge football ground...

This memorial has sadly lost the heads of all four statues that surround it - there are a few signs of vandalism around the cemetery, although heaven knows from when. I liked this one just because it was a tribute to a rower.

The star feature of Brompton is this domed chapel. Unlike say Highgate or Eltham, this isn't on a hill so no sweeping views. Only the architecture would mark this place out as a desirable resting place, so it has to "work".

But you don't really appreciate it from the south side - you have to go on and see the colonnades that surround it. Apparently inspired by St Peter's in Rome.

There were meant to be bell towers like this in the middle of both colonnades, but they ran out of money so the symmetry is a little lacking.

You won't see many gravestones with an exploding zeppelin depicted on them.

The cemetery is great for wildlife - lots of trees and wild-ish vegetation. I was very leased to see a green woodpecker land, although unfortunately in the time available I could only get focus on the blade of grass in front of it!

The more dramatic entrance is the North Gate