Graves in the Wood: The Abandoned Beauty of Barnes Cemetery

Barnes cemetery is a sylvan santuary that the village nearby (and London generally) has largely forgotten.

An aborted redevelopment by Richmond Upon Thames in the mid 1960's has left this once beautifully ordered place of rest with nature as its groundskeeper; celtic crosses and headstones now play hide and seek amongst mature trees, ivy and bracken. Brush these away and you'll find people such as the Edwardian Marilyn Manson, a maverick life-gambling doctor, a lady whose murder scandalised the empire and an artist who painted images that would have been the desktop background on every Victorian's laptop (had they had them back then). 

Complete with a musical finale with a song that was once heard in many music halls up and down the land, join Sheldon from the Cemetery Club to discover a real gem of London's heritage and personally meet some long-gone Londoners in this beautiful woodland on Barnes Common. 

Meet at the cemetery for a 1:30 pm start. Please wear sensible footwear as the terrain is wooded! The nearest station is Barnes (National Rail). If coming from Hammersmith, take the 72 bus via Ranelagh Avenue but please note that Hammersmith Bridge is now closed to vehicular traffic and the route may be subject to delays.