The South Metropolitan Cemetery was the second of the eight private garden cemeteries and was opened in 1837, in the London Borough of Lambeth.
The main buildings were designed in the Gothic style, by Sir William Tite, and the cemetery covers an area of 40 acres. The crematorium opened in 1915.
In 1966 it was purchased by Lambeth Council who run it with the Diocese of Southwark.
It is home to over 65 listed monuments and is still in operation, partially.
When West Norwood Cemetery was built, in 1837, London faced a crisis. Her churchyards and burial grounds were full, so garden cemeteries, like this one, were created. The South Metropolitan Cemetery, as it was originally known, was the second of eight cemeteries opened between 1833 and 1845.
There are over 250,000 people buried in over 45,000 graves.
The River Effra still flows beneath the cemetery.
The Chapels and Catacombs
When the cemetery opened it had two chapels, both designed in the Tudor Gothic style.
The main chapel was Church of England and had turrets, arched arcades, and catacombs, while the second chapel was for Christians not part of the Church of England. Following extensive bombing, during World War II, the chapels were severely damaged and ended up being knocked down. The Catacombs remained, but were heavily damaged.
