Following on from my visit to
David our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the Cemetery having worked there so we got to hear about the practicalities of burials and memorials as well as the history and stories connected with the graves.
The Cemetery came into being in the mid 19th Century because the churchyards in the City of
Many of the other City churches cleared their graveyards when this Cemetery was created and the bodies were reinterred here. One memorial to St Helens Bishopsgate is said to include the body of Robert Hooke scientist and architect (amongst other things) who I had to confess I had not heard of before.
One of the most striking memorials we saw was that of Gladys Spencer a local music and dance teacher. Hers is the only memorial that includes a statue of a piano. According to David who has seen a picture of Gladys the representation of her is rather more attractive than she was in real life. She died aged only 34 in 1931. (Apologies I haven't yet worked out how to save photos after rotating them!)
The tour was full of fascinating information and I could probably go on for another few paragraphs. However if you get a chance to visit and go on a tour I would definitely recommend it. The nearest station is
Labels: cemetery tour London