A Curious Invitation present London Month of the Dead
IN SEARCH OF THE GOTHIC REVIVAL
A Guided Tour of West Norwood Cemetery with Caroline Swan
Saturday 15th October 2022 at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm

Of the 'Magnificent Seven' cemeteries that opened on London's outskirts in the early decades of the nineteenth century, West Norwood, designed by Sir William Tite in 1836, was the most sought-after burial place for the capital's wealthy and illustrious. Businessmen, philanthropists, authors and preachers are among the thousands laid to rest there, including Mrs Beeton author of the legendary Victorian book on household management; Henry Doulton, the founder of pottery firm Royal Doulton; and Henry Tate, who established the Tate Gallery. The cemetery's stunning Greek Orthodox section contains the highest concentration of listed funerary monuments anywhere in Britain.

Caroline Swan’s guided walk around West Norwood will explore its Gothic Revival roots, admire its grand monuments and show how it proved to be an inspiration for other cemeteries worldwide.

Tickets £12 including a 20% donation toward a host of restoration projects at West Norwood Cemetery

Caroline Swan
Caroline Swan is a London-based historian and author of the Flickering Lamps blog. She writes about the histories behind often-familiar buildings, parks and - of course - graveyards: a single grave or an unusual street name can often reveal strange, moving, and sometimes even disturbing stories about the past. Caroline is also currently working towards a PhD in London History at Birkbeck, University of London.