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

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q27082958

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)