Looking down the central avenue. Brompton Cemetery, London. Obelsiks like that shown on the left here here were popular at this time, and later too. One pink granite obelisk, for instance, commemorates Lionel Monckton (1862-1924), composer of musical comedy and light operetta, and music crtic (see Brompton Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide, 22).
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Views in Brompton Cemetery. The picture on the left shows the straight path approaching the bell tower. Unlike some cemeteries laid out on hillsides, or making use of earlier gardens with elements of their older landscaping, this cemetery is "entirely based on a grid pattern" (Rutherfoord 19). For a variety of reasons, including shareholders' greed, the hope of the West of London and Westminster Cemetery Company to rival the new cemetery at Kensal Green in north London were dashed. Financial problems forced the company to sell out to the General Board of Health in 1852, making it the first London cemetery to fall under state control. This is still "the first and only cemetery to be nationalised" (Brompton Cemetery); it is now managed by the Royal Parks, and is our only Crown Cemetery (see Brompton Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide, 2).
Photographs by Robert Freidus and Jacqueline Banerjee, who provided the text. Formatting and perspective correction by George P. Landow. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.
Bibliography
Brompton Cemetery. Leaflet available in the cemetery office. Print.
Brompton Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide. London: Royal Parks, 2002. Print.
Last modified 22 May 2012