Category: Architecture
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The Mausoleum in a Picture Gallery
On a long, leafy road by a prestigious school, death hides in plain sight. It’s actually a slightly more embellished version of a building that once stood elsewhere. The Dulwich Picture Gallery is the world’s first purpose-built exhibition space. It houses paintings by Canaletto, John Constable and Thomas Gainsborough as well as lesser known works…
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Mary Nichols and the Sleeping Angel
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful graves in Europe, it is said that the grave Mary Nichols lay completely hidden under ivy of Highgate Cemetery until the 1980’s, when it was rediscovered by photographer John Gay. On the top of the grave lies a sleeping angel on a bed of clouds: it is easily one of…
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The Graves of English Poets
Occasionally I find gems from the archives that were published years ago by my cemetery and graveyard-loving predecessors – and this particular one deserves to be seen by living eyes once more. The following words originally appeared in ‘The Bizarre Notes and Queries in History, Folk-lore, Mathematics, Mysticism, Art, Science, Etc‘ that was published by…
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Rust in Vrede: A Trip to Zorgvlied Cemetery
Take a trip to an historic cemetery just outside central Amsterdam and see where peacocks and Dutch celebrities reside hand in hand I’m in Amsterdam once a month nowadays and like any good cemetery enthusiast, I’m loving the opportunity to explore another city’s past and its dead. I took a tram to Amsterdam RAI and…
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Our Top 8 Instagram Posts 2017
As 2017 makes way for 2018, I thought I’d highlight the nine most liked photos from our Instagram account – a lovely mix of photos and history: what’s your favourite? 8. The Biggest Bonsai Tree Did you know the man who created the area called ‘King’s Cross’ in London also created the world’s biggest Bonsai…
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Why Is King’s Cross Called ‘King’s Cross’?
I’m sure many of you have found yourself asking this exact question when walking through the concourse; eyeing the massive queue of people waiting patiently to clutch on to the luggage trolley that’s on its way to Platform 9 3/4. It’s all down to one man. An entrepreneur who, had he been alive today, would have…
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The Alternative Top 10 Graves of London
Google ‘famous graves in London’ and you’re assaulted by the usual suspects – these lists generally include Emmeline Pankhurst, John Bunyan and perhaps the best known of them all – Karl Marx. There’s no denying the above named peoples influence and legacy but there are others whose graves are just as interesting – be it…
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Our Next Tour is Live!
by Sheldon Hello everyone! Here at the Cemetery Club mausoleum we’ve been busy sorting out events for the summer and we’re pleased to announce our next tour will be brand spanking new and will be around Hampstead Cemetery! It’s a lovely place to have a stroll and you get a sense that in the 140-odd…
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Strolls in the Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery
I was making full use of my recent membership of the British Library and delving into their archives to explore ye olde books on Cemeteries. I came across one such book that was written in the 1860’s for the Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery; imagine Bradshaw’s Guide, which was written as a timetable and guide to…
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It’s Christmas in Heaven
by Sheldon And so closes another year. A year that seems to have robbed us of more heroes and icons than usual. Our post detailing the loss of Bowie, it seems, was a warning call for 2016 – Prince, Muhammed Ali, Gene Wilder – all people who have massively influenced culture in the past few…
Cemetery Club 