West Norwood Cemetery, London

West Norwood Cemetery, London

visited April 2011

West Norwood Cemetery is one of the 'Magnificent Seven' Victorian garden cemeteries in London. It's in South London, in the borough of Lambeth. Opened for burials in 1837, it contains a wonderful mix of landscaped and more wild areas. Burials still take place here, and the crematorium in particular is in regular use. The cemetery was created on land which was once part of the Great North Wood, hence the name Norwood, and some parts of the ancient woodland remain. Visit in spring for the bluebells, and the birdsong.

There's a wide range of the great and the good buried here - you'll find the vault of Sir Henry Doulton (of course made of terracotta), Sir Henry Tate (he of the 'Tate and Lyle' sugar), Isabella Beeton (cookery writer Mrs Beeton), artist David Roberts, Sir Hiram Maxim (inventor of the Maxim gun), and geologist Gideon Mantell, one of the pioneers of palaeontology, to name a few.

There is also a Greek Orthodox cemetery in the midst of the site, which I will write about in a separate post.

Despite being a working cemetery/crematorium, visitors are welcome to wander round and take photos. There are tours at various points in the year, including some opportunities to visit the catacombs - highly recommended if you don't mind the dark! 

Arbroath Abbey Kirkyard

Arbroath Abbey Kirkyard, Scotland

Visited August 2011

Right beside Arbroath Abbey, within its grounds, is Arbroath Abbey kirkyard, containing over 1400 stones. In the past this kirkyard has been ruthlessly tidied and straightened. There are lots of stones mentioning those lost at sea, or seamen who died abroad, a reminder that Arbroath is perhaps most famous (after the Declaration of Arbroath, of course*) for its fish, Arbroath Smokies in particular.  most stones date from the Victorian period, but a few are older.

If you really only want to visit the kirkyard, you can go via the Visitor Centre, persuade them of your intention not to visit the ruins, and you should get in free. But be spotted straying towards the Abbey and you may be thrown out! 

* The Declaration was signed at the Abbey in 1320 by various Scottish earls and barons, supporting Robert the Bruce and asserting Scottish independence. The most quoted passage is of course "...for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."

Ancient Nubian Pyramids of Meroë, Sudan

Ancient Nubian Pyramids, Meroë Cemetery, Sudan

Visited November 2007 and January 2009

A bit off the wall, and off the beaten track, this one. I had the opportunity to travel to Sudan with work in 2007 and 2009, and both times I was able to visit the archaeological sites to the north of Khartoum.

The cemetery at Meroë is in the middle of nowhere - there was only one road leading to it when I visited (the main road running from the border with Egypt south to Khartoum), and it's about 200km north of Khartoum. Given the political situation there, I doubt there are more visitors there than when I visited, and both times I had the site to myself (well ok, there was a colleague and a guide each time too).

The pyramids date from circa 280BCE to about 20CE. They look like Egyptian pyramids because the Merotic people were highly influenced by their northern neighbours, ruling over them in the 25th Dynasty. The writing too was based on Egyptian script, although the language hasn't been deciphered.

They're a bit ruined now, but thanks to money pumped in by foreign archaeologists, museums and researchers, and the lack of tourists, the pyramids are in pretty good condition in terms of litter, grafitti etc. Although relying on foreign money and having few visitors is of course not ideal in terms of sustainability or long term preservation. If you ever get the chance to visit then do. Just don't use the toilets on site. Seriously, just don't.

Erskine Cemetery, Montrose

The Erskine Cemetery, Montrose (Grounds of the House of Dun)

Visited August 2010

In the grounds of the House of Dun lies this little private cemetery. The House of Dun, now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, was built in the 18th century for the Erskine family and this was the burial ground for the house. The house itself is well worth a visit, as are the gardens, but do take a walk into the wider estate and find this little cemetery, hidden among the trees. Grave markers date mostly from the 18th & 19th centuries, and there are some wonderful carvings on them. Even on the busiest of days at the house, you're unlikely to be disturbed inside the walls of the cemetery. 

http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/House-Of-Dun-and-Montrose-Basin-Nature-Reserve

Brompton Cemetery, London

Brompton Cemetery, London

visited August 2010

Brompton Cemetery, in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea in London, opened in 1840 and is one of the original 7 garden cemeteries, known as the 'Magnificent Seven' along with Abney Park, Highgate, Nunhead, Norwood, Tower Hamlets and Kensal Green.

Along the main path is a selection of wonderful mausoleums, while towards the sides the memorials are smaller, although the great and good are still dotted among them. There is a wonderful small chapel, based on the basilica of St Peter in Rome. There are regular events held there, organised by the Friends association. The cemetery is a working cemetery again, after being closed to burials in the 1970s.

Being in a very busy area, just round the back of Earl's Court, the cemetery is a busy thoroughfare, with walkers, joggers and cyclists, and even has an area where dog walking is permitted. It's also not as wild as some of the old cemeteries, although it isn't perfectly manicured, and is managed for wildlife by the Royal Parks, who now manage it.

St Nicholas Churchyard, Arundel

St Nicholas Churchyard, Arundel, West Sussex

Visited May 2015

At the top of the town, behind the Castle and just across the road from the Cathedral, is the 14th century church of St Nicholas. The church itself is peaceful, and well worth a visit, and it is surrounded on 3 sides by this lovely country style churchyard. 

Most of the gravestones date from the Victorian period or later, although traces of older graves can be found - some very worn gravestones still stand, and the stones that make up the paths are (at least in places) formed of broken pieces of gravestones.  There is at least one marker made of cast iron, something not found much outside of Sussex.

Lycian tombs, Turkey

Lycian Tombs, Turkey

visited September 2009

Ancient Lycia was a region in ancient Anatolia which is now in Southern Turkey. It became part of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, and was later part of the Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great. 

The tombs left behind are quite spendid. The earliest are the tower tombs, with sarcophagi on top of a rock tower. The one below was in the middle of a town (Kas, ancient Antiphellos), and remarkably well preserved - no grafitti at all!

There are also rock cut Lycian tombs, which are a little later in date, and bring to mind the Nabatean rock cut tombs of Jordan - they really are like a mini Petra. The ones I saw, at Dalyan, were only seen from a boat due to time restraints, and a lot are hard to access. But if you have time, then I'm told there are some splendid rock cut tombs to be explored throughout the area.

An early pillar tomb, Kas

Back of the same pillar tomb

A rock cut tomb

Lycian tombs cut into the rock at Dalyan

Lycian tombs cut into the rock at Dalyan