An alarming piece of news last week – the country’s largest cemetery, final home of nearly a quarter of a million people, was ablaze, fire crews were fighting to save it.
As it turns out, something of a false alarm – yes there was a fire, possibly a wildfire because of the drought, but happily the damage to graves was minimal.
I am intrigued to learn about the existence of this place, of which I had never heard. Covering 2,000 acres of land, just 25 miles from the centre of London, when it was opened in the middle of the C19th it was intended to be of sufficient size and splendour to serve the burial needs of the Metropolis for at least 500 years.
I wonder if the cemetery still has capacity for the number of graves it will need during the remaining 350 years of its expected life.
