Space to Visit

Brompton Cemetery is one of the finest cemeteries in the country. As the only Crown Cemetery, it is managed by the Royal Parks under contract from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The West London and Westminster Cemetery Company, as it used to be known, was established in 1836. Designed by Benjamin Baud, the cemetery has a formal layout with listed buildings, monuments of great historical interest and a chapel based on the design of Rome’s St Peter’s Basilica. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, London became the world’s commercial capital. Its population increased from 1 million in 1800 to over 2.6 million by 1850. Consequently the inadequate sanitary conditions led to endemic disease and the existing burial grounds were unable to cope. As a solution, Parliament authorised seven commercial cemeteries around London, of which Brompton is an outstanding example.