Golders Green Crematorium, London

I will make no secret of it, I wanted to visit Golders Green Crematorium because this is where Bram Stoker's mortal remains are kept. I wasn't sure how to go about visiting here because it is a working crematorium and I wanted to be respectful. I couldn't find much in the way of information regarding Golders Green Crematorium, so I just decided to go down and see what happened. 

The urn containing the cremated remains of Bram Stoker. 

Golders Green is located in North London and was opened in 1902. Victorian Britain was the golden age of the Cemetery (Brompton, West Norwood, Undercliffe, Arnos Vale etc.) and cremation was not considered as an option of care for the deceased. However, as Victoria's reign began to draw to a close, so did the fixed principle of burying corpses. The Cremation Society of Great Britain was formed in 1874 and country's first Crematorium was opened in Woking in 1878. Interestingly, the Society's president and founding member, Sir Henry Thompson, was cremated at Golders Green in 1904. 

Upon arriving at Golders Green, I followed signage to enquire about visiting the East Columbarium, where Mr Stoker's remains are kept. I was greeted by a very friendly and knowledgeable member of staff, Eric Willis, who led me through the magnificent grounds to the East Columbarium. It is worth noting that you can not enter the East Columbarium alone - you must be admitted by a member of staff as it is locked at all times. 

Staff Member Eric Willis and myself who gave me an interesting tour of the Crematorium. 

It is difficult to describe how I felt upon entering the Columbarium. It is a grand structure with many floors and on each floor there were hundreds of urns on shelves like books on a shelf in a library. Walking up the stairs, past all of the lives of people who had lived and since passed was a curious and exciting feeling indeed. 

Inside the East Columbarium.

Stoker's urn was up a few flights of stairs, directly left of the stairwell. The urn is remarkable and beautiful - it was chilling to be in the presence of such a great author. Eric spoke about the people who come to visit Stoker and his son Noel, whose remains are also here in the same urn. He also read out a poem he had written for the 100th anniversary of Stoker's death. All very interesting. 

Eric's poem about Bram Stoker written for the 100th Anniversary of the author's death.

Although it was my main intention to visit Stoker's remains, I could not help myself from wandering around the Columbarium looking at all of the different urns. Eric revealed the urn next to us had it's residents names written in pencil and this was because they could not afford to have their details engraved. He also led me to the ostentatious memorial of one of the men who died upon the Titanic. Admittedly, this was extremely interesting and a delightful way to spend a day. 

My Dark Travels Rating 10/10

I loved Golders Green Crematorium. It was peaceful and beautiful. My favourite part of the Crematorium was the East Columbarium and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in history. There were so many lives, so many different stories housed in one tranquil structure - I could have spent days in there, happily reading about those who had lived before me. If you do visit, enquire to see if Eric can give you a guided tour. I was very fortunate that he was available to guide me around the Crematorium and impart his knowledge upon me. His knowledge of crematoria and other facts had me speechless. Thank you, Eric! 

The Crematorium is free to visit and my 'tour' from Eric was also free but this depends upon his availability! You can access it via the Northern Line (Edgware branch) or drive (as I did). I parked in a residential street but do look out for parking restrictions. There is a car park in the Crematorium which is free but spaces may be limited.

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Warstone Lane Cemetery, Birmingham

The past few weeks in England have been quite sunny and warm. However, today it was dull and gloomy: perfect weather for ambling around a cemetery and discovering its hidden secrets. I have a lengthy list of graveyards, cemeteries and crematoriums that I would like to visit but the majority of them are quite far away from where I am based so I decided to venture to a cemetery that was a bit closer to home.

Warstone Lane Cemetery is located at the heart of Birmingham's jewelry quarter. It was founded in 1848 and is also known as Brookfields Cemetery. Like many cemeteries of the mid-Victorian era, Warstone Lane Cemetery was seen as a solution to the problems caused by an ever-increasing population. Birmingham was the heart of the industrial revolution and many people flocked to work here, especially in Birmingham's ever expanding factories and railways. Poor sanitation, lack of medical care and poverty ensured that mortality rates, especially in children, were extremely high and this lead to an overwhelming amount of dead, of which churches simply could not cope with. 

The Cemetery was constructed in the style of the exquisite London necropolises such as Highgate Cemetery (1839) and Nunhead Cemetery (1840). The Birmingham Church of England Cemetery Company also took inspiration from Warstone Lanes' 'sister' cemetery, Key Hill. Key Hill Cemetery was established in 1836 not only as response to an urgent need for burial space but as a place of internment for those who were non-conformist. 

Arguably, the most impressive feature of the cemetery is the catacombs. Warstone Lane Cemetery was built near a sandpit quarry (operated by the Guardians of the Poor to provide out-relief to the unemployed after the Napoleonic Wars). This meant that burials could be quite difficult and thus
 catacombs were proposed and promptly constructed as a tiered burial ground. The catacombs were open to the public (wow!) but closed in response to the Birmingham Cemeteries Act. This Act stated that the catacombs must be sealed with lead or pitch due to the 'unhealthy vapours' (rotting corpse smell?) that was leaking out. I have read that there are plans to re-open the catacombs... please!

There once was a burial chapel, St Michael's, which briefly operated as a parish church. This building, which boasted a 116 ft spire and a Bramah lift to take coffins down into the catacombs, was demolished in 1954 having been extensively damaged in the Blitz. The Cemetery Company’s offices in Warstone Lane, which also formed the main vehicular entrance, were sold to a private company. The sole remaining feature of the original Victorian cemetery is the catacombs. These catacombs are more visually imposing than those at Key Hill, which were completed in 1880. 

Warstone Lane Cemetery was acquired by Birmingham City Council in 1951 and burials were stopped around 1982. 

My Dark Travels Rating 7/10

If you enjoy the history and stunning architecture of a cemetery then you will enjoy visiting Warstone Lane Cemetery. My favourite feature was indeed the tiered catacombs. It did remind me of the Circle of Lebanon catacombs at Highgate Cemetery. However, due to the Birmingham Cemeteries Act, they have been plastered shut and look very miserable indeed. There also seems to be a very alarming litter problem in the cemetery, which really did upset me. We found socks, plastic bags, coffee cups, crisp packets and even toothpaste (!) strewn around the graves. There were also a couple of youths smoking something that smelt suspicious... 

I would urge Birmingham City Council to sort this problem out because the cemetery holds a wealth of history that is integral to the rich fabric of the Black Country. I hear that there is a 'Friends' society that looks after the cemetery as well, so if they are reading this and need any volunteers to help clean up the cemetery, I'm available!

On street meter parking is accessible around the cemetery and it is located next to the Jewelry Quarter train station. The cemetery is free to visit but it closes at 5pm each day. 

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The Non-Catholic Cemetery, Rome.

Visiting graveyards/cemeteries is an undeniable staple of a Dark Tourist's diet. I like to visit cemeteries because they are tranquil and offer peace from often busy schedules. The beautifully stylised monuments and headstones are particularly pleasing to read. The Historian inside of me enjoys pondering the lives of those interred within the earthy vaults below the moss and fauna. 

It is no surprise then, that when my Husband and I decided to go to Rome for our Honeymoon, we would pay a visit to the 300 year old Non-Catholic Cemetery. 

The Cemetery is most notable for containing the ashes of the English Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) and his contemporary, the English Poet John Keats (1795-1821). Burials began during the 18th Century and were mainly for European Upper-Class young men whom had embarked upon the 'Grand Tour' of Europe and found themselves at the mercy of the Grim Reaper. 

Graves and monuments sprung up next to the 'Piramide' of Gaius Cestius, a colossal pyramid tomb for the Roman Magistrate and sometime Priest, Gaius Cestius. In 1818, Percy Bysshe Shelley described the area as, '... a green slope near the walls, under the pyramid tomb of Cestius and, as I think, the most beautiful and solemn cemetery I have ever beheld.'

Visiting the Non-Catholic Cemetery was the highlight of my trip. I can't quite decide which area of it was my favourite - every inch of it fulfilled the Romantic ideal of eternal sleep in a flower-adorned meadow underneath the beautiful Italian sun. As well as the graves of Shelley and Keats, there is one other grave that deserves a mention.

William Wetmore Story's Angel of Grief (1894) is the most spectacular monument in a cemetery/graveyard I have ever seen. A monument for his wife, Emelyn, the Angel of Grief is a testament to bereavement.  The angel is slumped over the gravestone, her hands covering her face in a painfully emotive posture. Story's creation is one of the most visited graves in the cemetery and it is world famous (having appeared upon many 'Goth' bands album covers, most notable the Evanescence  EP from 1998). Shoutout to the film American Beauty - THIS is the most beautiful thing in the world!

Myself and Percy Bysshe Shelley's grave containing his ashes but not his heart. Contemporary reports suggest that his heart did not burn upon his cremation so his wife, Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) kept his heart wrapped in his poetry in her desk. It is buried with the Shelley's son at St Peter's Church, Bournemouth. 

Arguably one of the prettiest graves is that of poet John Keats. In accordance with Keats' wishes, the headstone is not marked with his name, but that of a 'Young English Poet'. The painter and Keats' close friend, Joseph Severn is buried next to him. Severn nursed Keats through his final moments of Tuberculosis. 

My Dark Travels Rating - 10/10

It is very hard to describe the beauty of this cemetery. When wondering around, I was in awe of what lay before me. The landscaping is pleasant, tranquil and it is very well taken care of. The headstones, the memorials and the sculptures here are a stunning and sobering reminder of our own mortality. The cemetery even has resident cats! Graves, Poets, Cats & Sunshine - what more could you possibly want in life?!
The cemetery is FREE to visit, but a donation of 3€ is customary (unless you are as overwhelmed as I was and then you can put as much as you want in! I think I put in a 20€ donation as well as buying one of their many books in the well-stocked information centre! It was too fabulous!) You can also become a Friend of the Cemetery HERE.

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What is 'Dark Tourism'

It is no secret that people are interested in strange things. Some people are interested in baking, some people like to dance and some people enjoy nothing more than a fine cheese. I am neither inserted in baking, dancing nor cheese. I am interested in Dark Tourism. 

Dark Tourism is the act of visiting a location that is associated with tragedy, misery and death. If you think about it, Dark Tourism is not a modern nor alien concept. For centuries, people have been attending to the graves of their loved ones, preserving memories. When I was 14, I went on a GCSE History trip to Ypres, touring the WW1 battlefields and visiting the location of the Somme. It was a peculiar feeling to know that the trees in the distance bore witness to the deaths of as many as 1,000,000 men in one of the bloodiest battles in history. Strangely enough, I also felt calm. Calm because I knew I was remembering and honouring the wasted lives of these men who died in tragic circumstances. 

My GCSE History group and I are not alone in visiting areas associated with death and tragedy. Every November, the Queen and major political figures lay wreathes of poppies in front of the Cenotaph in London. In New York, the 9/11 Memorial Museum remembers those who lost their lives in the infamous attacks on the World Trade Centre towers. Furthermore, tourists regularly flock to Pompeii to observe the unfortunate fate of those buried in ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. 

Memorialising death and disaster is a concrete ideology, whether society choses to accept it or not. 

DT