History in Structure

West Norwood Memorial Park Catacombs Beneth the Remembrance Garden

A Grade II Listed Building in Lambeth, London

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.4322 / 51°25'55"N

Longitude: -0.0971 / 0°5'49"W

OS Eastings: 532379

OS Northings: 172070

OS Grid: TQ323720

Mapcode National: GBR GS.J66

Mapcode Global: VHGRD.88KF

Plus Code: 9C3XCWJ3+V5

Entry Name: West Norwood Memorial Park Catacombs Beneth the Remembrance Garden

Listing Date: 2 August 1993

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1263192

English Heritage Legacy ID: 432993

ID on this website: 101263192

Location: West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium, West Norwood, Lambeth, London, SE27

County: London

District: Lambeth

Electoral Ward/Division: Gipsy Hill

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Lambeth

Traditional County: Surrey

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Greater London

Church of England Parish: West Norwood St Luke

Church of England Diocese: Southwark

Tagged with: Memorial

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Norwood

Description


The following buildings shall be added:


TQ3272 (OFF) NORWOOD ROAD
963-0/32/1140 West Norwood Memorial Park
Catacombs beneath the Remembrance
Garden

GV II

Catacombs, formerly beneath the Anglican chapel now replaced
with a Remembrance Garden. c1837 by Sir William Tite to
accomodate some 2,000 coffins. Externally, only a flight of
curving entrance steps and 6 semi-circular light shaft
openings with grilles are visible. Internally, the entrance
hall (altered), then a central axial hall with 3 long
corridors leading off each side. Central hall arcaded on each
side, each arch filled with a private vault resembling C15
chantry chapels with Gothic stone structure including blind
arcading and badges; entered by "Tudor" cast iron grille doors
with badges. Each corridor lined with recesses, screened off
by fine Gothic style metal doors, and most containing coffin
shelves. At the ends of each corridor are light shafts
constructed of pale brick and having vaulted ceilings;
circular light openings set in ceilings of outer corridors now
blocked. Floors originally paved with stone slabs, now bare
earth. Centrally situated hydraulic catafalque and
hand-operated pump, manufactured by Messrs. Bramah and
Robinson, 1839 (plaque attached to upright rail). This
catafalque was used to silently lower coffins from the
Anglican chapel into the vaults below and was considered
somewhat of a novelty in its day being a remarkable instance
of the marriage of industrial technology to the traditional
business of undertaking and interment. The only other
surviving catafalque machinery comparable is at Kensal Green.
The Tite familily vaults are situated immediately to the right
of the entrance. West Norwood has lost both its Anglican and
Non-Conformist mortuary chapels which were demolished in 1960
and 1955 respectively following war damage.


Listing NGR: TQ3237972070

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