Greek Orthodox Cemetery, West Norwood

Greek Orthodox Cemetery, West Norwood Cemetery, London

Within the large Victorian cemetery at West Norwood, itself one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’, is an unique enclosed cemetery for the Greek Orthodox community which reflects two centuries of Anglo-Hellenic connections. The ground was acquired in 1842 by London's Greek community for a Greek Orthodox cemetery. Many monuments in the Necropolis feature neoclassical Greek designs, including columns, portico roofs, stepped bases and statues in togas. Today it is overseen by the trustees of the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, a Greek Orthodox church in Bayswater, West London.

The chapel of St Stephen and 18 monuments are listed by Historic England. The mortuary chapel of St Stephen was built in neo-classical style, and was built for merchant Stephen Ralli to bury his son, who had died in 1872 of rheumatic fever while at Eton.

Plan of West Norwood Cemetery, c.1880 © London Borough of Lambeth. The Greek Cemetery, and chapel of St Stephen in particular, can be seen in the top left corner.