New Southgate Cemetery, London

New Southgate Cemetery is a Victorian cemetery of about 22 hectares in Brunswick Park, in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London. It was established in the mid-19th century by the Colney Hatch Company, a private firm, and originally operated as the Great Northern London Cemetery. Today it is a quiet, green place for anyone interested in London history, cemetery architecture and the people buried here.

How did the cemetery come about?

In the 1850s London was growing so fast that its old churchyards were overflowing. The answer was large cemeteries laid out on the edge of the city by private companies, and New Southgate was one of them. The name Great Northern London Cemetery was chosen partly to avoid any link with the nearby Colney Hatch asylum.

The layout was designed by Alexander Spurr, an architect who later became the cemetery's superintendent. Paths run in concentric circles around a Gothic chapel at the centre, giving the grounds a clear, orderly plan.

A cemetery with its own railway

The most unusual feature was how the dead arrived. A railway ran from near King's Cross station to a dedicated station at the cemetery, much like the London Necropolis Railway that served Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. The rail service closed fairly soon, but the cemetery itself has stayed open ever since.

Who is buried here?

The best-known burial is Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957), Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. He died in London on a visit, and in line with his religion he was buried close to where he died. His grave lies in a walled garden and draws pilgrims from many countries.

Also buried here are Alexander Spurr, who designed the cemetery, and Ross McWhirter, co-founder of the Guinness Book of Records.

War graves

The cemetery also holds war graves. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) records 109 Commonwealth burials from the First World War and 86 from the Second World War, scattered across the grounds. There are also the graves of 51 Germans who died in the Alexandra Palace internment camp, and two Belgian soldiers.

Frequently asked questions

Where is New Southgate Cemetery? In Brunswick Park, in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London. The coordinates are roughly 51.624 N, 0.144 W.

Is the cemetery still in use? Yes. It still carries out burials, and a crematorium operates alongside it.

How big is it? About 22 hectares.

What is worth seeing? The Gothic chapel at the centre, the concentric layout of the paths, the garden with the grave of Shoghi Effendi, and the CWGC war graves.

Can visitors walk around? It is a working cemetery, so keep quiet and show respect to mourners. Current opening hours are published by the cemetery management.