Brompton Cemetery

Another one of the Magnificent Seven; 7 privately owned cemeteries built in London in the 19th century.

Brompton opened in 1840 and is these days more of a park than a place of mourning, as is proved by the hordes of bicycles that will run you out of your shoes if you're not carefull.

It is well kept and not at all overgrown like Highgate, but it still has a lot of charm, especially if you visit it in the fall.

The lay-out of the cemetery is quite interesting. Designed by Benjamin Baud, the centre of the cemetery hosts a chapel, built to resemble Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, albeit on a smaller scale. The idea behind the design was to give the place the feel of an open air cathedral.

To get to the cemetery, take the Tube to West Brompton station. The north gate is off Old Brompton Road. The south gate leads to Fullham Road.