Kensal Green Cemetery — Local services in London

One of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries of London, and it’s easy to see why.

Unlike (parts of) a lot of the other seven such as Nunhead or Highgate, it isn’t completely overgrown and is relatively well maintained. This is probably because it still has a significant degree of availability for new burials and therefore hasn’t been allowed to simply return to a natural state (dust to dust), although there are still some large trees that line the grander avenues of monuments and mausolea leading from the east to the Anglican Chapel.

The older memorials tend to be more interesting and aesthetic (personal preference), but there are some more modern memorials/graves that are very interesting to see. Two in particular caught my eye. One was a lavish yet open memorial at a crossroads to a young boy called Medi, filled with colourful flowers, ornate corinthian columns and benches to sit and relax. The other was a large plot directly north-west of the first, surrounded by thick and high hedges the public cannot enter, dedicated to an unknown woman. The latter was supposedly designed by the woman’s husband (an architect), and contains what looks to be a beautiful neo-classical temple with a peaceful garden. We were sad we couldn’t go inside and see it up close!

There are also a few famous people buried in here, including Charles Babbage and Isembard Kingdom Brunel, along with others of the great and the good.

This is a great and beautiful place to go and explore for a while (or...

Notable Names & Forgotten Stones – Reflections on Kensal Green

Thanks to some research on Ancestry I found an interesting distant relative who was buried as a "notable person" in Kensal Green Cemetery. As luck would have it, I was already planning a trip to London for a vacation a few weeks later so the cemetery was quickly added to my itinerary.

It was easy to get to, just steps from the Kensal Green Station. This large cemetery has huge entrance gates suggesting this may be a place of importance. The Friends of Kensal Green maintain a website with detailed historical information and even offer books about the cemetery for those interested. I was able to find my ancestor quickly and appreciated the moment to be able to pay my respects. While exploring, we also came across the respected Brunel family site, along with many other impressive tombstones of notable individuals who contributed in one way or another to this mostly beautiful world.

I love taking my time strolling through cemeteries, thinking about the people who are laid to rest and the impacts they would have had on today's society. This impressive cemetery was no different but I couldn't help wishing we all held value in the places a little more so that the stones were better maintained, the grass tidier, and the area felt...

What can you say about one of the magnificent seven cemeteries from the Victorian era. We are lucky it is within walking distance from where we live, so get down there quite often. The Victorian stone masons produced excellent quality carving and ornamentation. A lot of notable graves down there Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and his family. Decimus Burton who designed the Temperate House at Kew Gardens and much else. On Sundays there are tour guides who can show you around for a small fee. Especially lovely during Spring and Summer when the birds are out singing, all the nature that inhabits the place. Please be respectful and take your litter away, this is a special place to visit especially if you want some quiet time, very...