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2 unusual facts about West Norwood Cemetery


Abney Park Chapel

The foundation stone was laid by none other than Sir Chapman Marshall, Lord Mayor of the City of London in the presence of the Sheriffs of the City and County (although Marshall subsequently chose to be laid to rest in the Anglican catacombs at West Norwood Cemetery.)

Loudon had been critical of the catacombs at Kensal Green as 'bad taste', and had also found the 'pleasure-ground style' at Norwood cemetery objectionable; yet offered only praise for the new principles of cemetery layout, management and design at Abney Park.


Richard David Muir

Muir himself died suddenly in January 1924 in his house in Camden House Court, Kensington and he was interred in West Norwood Cemetery after a service at St Mary Abbots, Kensington.

Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone

Lord Alverstone died at Cranleigh, Surrey, in December 1915, aged 72 and was buried at West Norwood Cemetery under a Celtic cross.

Temple Lodges Abney Park

Soon afterwards, in 1836, the South Metropolitan Cemetery was founded in Norwood, South London; on its board of directors was Sir William Tite, an architect who chose the Gothic style for all the cemetery buildings, and thus Norwood became the first Gothic cemetery to wide public acclaim.

William Morley Punshon

He died at Tranby Lodge, Brixton Hill, on 14 April 1881 and was interred in a miniature Gothic chapel erected at West Norwood Cemetery.


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