Visit London catacombs are located beneath West Norwood Cemetery.
If you want to get off the beaten track, this is the perfect place to visit.
Today, I'm taking you there.
London catacombs: article summary
London catacombs: visit Brompton Cemetery
Visit Brompton Cemetery is one of seven magnificent Victorian cemeteries built in the countryside after burial was banned in the city of London in the 1830s.
When Brompton was built, it was still a country place. Some of the people buried there are literally buried in the middle of the fields.
Brompton Cemetery was designed by Benjamin Baud. It features a domed chapel at its southern end, accessible via long colonnades.
The cemetery resembles a large open-air cathedral. It has a central nave stretching from Old Brompton Road to the central colonnade and chapel.
Monuments according to social status
As with most Victorian cemeteries, the grandest and most expensive memorials are found beside the main road, where they can show off their wealth.
The further you move away from the main avenue, the lighter and smaller the memorials become. Although there are some strange exceptions.
London catacombs: timid demand
Beneath the colonnades are the catacombs. Unfortunately, the catacombs were not a success. Around 500 of the thousands of seats were sold out.
In fact, the cemetery was a financial failure and the shareholders ended up selling it to the government.
The site is now maintained by Royal Parks, an association.
The catacombs lie directly beneath the colonnades, which can therefore be considered as a two-storey structure, half above ground and half below.
Brompton's must-see colonnades
The catacombs of West Norwood or Kensal Rise resemble a large square cellar divided into corridors. Brompton's catacombs are a long, thin corridor that follows the colonnades above ground.
The design of Brompton's catacombs proved considerably more expensive to build than the cheaper caves used elsewhere, which probably contributed to the catacombs' failure as a burial site.
The clergy of the city's churches collected payment for burials in their cemeteries. They also took care of burials outside London. Brompton's owners resented this method, and decided to share the revenue with the parish in which the deceased would have been laid to rest.
Subsequently, above-ground burials became more and more popular. the catacombs were always avoided.
London catacombs: a fairly short visit
The visit to the catacombs is fairly short and, basically, after descending the very steep steps, you will walk along the corridor while listening to the guide talk to you. the history of the site and funeral customs in general.
Officially, no photography is allowed, but if you ask very nicely, you can take a general photo of the long corridor.
Above the catacombs, there are concave niches behind the colonnades, which could have been sold to people who also wanted an above-ground statue.
All these spaces are empty, suggesting the financial drain that this kind of venue represented.
A visit to the catacombs is a unique experience in London. However, I'd advise you to concentrate on the most popular attractions first, especially if it's your first visit to the city.