West Norwood Cemetery (South Metropolitan Cemetery)

The South Metropolitan Cemetery was the second of the eight private garden cemeteries and was opened in 1837, in the London Borough of Lambeth.

The main buildings were designed in the Gothic style, by Sir William Tite, and the cemetery covers an area of 40 acres. The crematorium opened in 1915.

In 1966 it was purchased by Lambeth Council who run it with the Diocese of Southwark.

It is home to over 65 listed monuments and is still in operation, partially.

When West Norwood Cemetery was built, in 1837, London faced a crisis. Her churchyards and burial grounds were full, so garden cemeteries, like this one, were created. The South Metropolitan Cemetery, as it was originally known, was the second of eight cemeteries opened between 1833 and 1845.

There are over 250,000 people buried in over 45,000 graves.

The River Effra still flows beneath the cemetery.

The Chapels and Catacombs

When the cemetery opened it had two chapels, both designed in the Tudor Gothic style. 

The main chapel was Church of England and had turrets, arched arcades, and catacombs, while the second chapel was for Christians not part of the Church of England. Following extensive bombing, during World War II, the chapels were severely damaged and ended up being knocked down. The Catacombs remained, but were heavily damaged.

"Which is London's longest Street?"

London has many streets and roads, but which is the longest?

There are a few contenders, depending on what criteria you are assessing it against.

1. A1 road, which passes through London, has a length of 410 miles (659 kms) and extends to Edinburgh, though it changes names multiple times.
2. Garratt Lane, Wandsworth, is also noted for its significant length at roughly 2.5 miles (4 kms).
3. Green Lanes, the longest thoroughfare, is sometimes cited as the longest, as this road runs for roughly 7.45 miles (12 kms) from Newington Green to Winchmore Hill, though it is not a 'street' in the same localised sense.
4. Streatham High Road is a major, very long, linear road stretching for 1.8 miles (2.9 kms) as part of the A23. 

However, Rotherhithe Street, Southwark, is generally recognised as the longest continuously-named street in London. It stretches for approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 kms), following the River Thames in a meandering semi-circle along a historical route.

So, let's explore London's longest street.

Starting at Rotherhithe Street's western end you enter a narrow pedestrianised path, sandwiched between the converted warehouses of Bombay Wharf and Hope Wharf, before you arrive at the historic St Mary's Church. 

There has been a church on this site since Saxon times, but this current building dates from 1715, with the stone spire being added in 1739. In 1876 restoration work was undertaken, where the north and south galleries were removed, the pulpit was lowered and new seating arrangements were made. The altar, in the Lady Chapel, and the two bishop's chairs, in the north aisle, were constructed from timber from the 'Fighting Temeraire'. Plaques inform you that Captain Christopher Jones, along with three of the part-owners of the 'Mayflower', were buried in the churchyard, in 1622.

'Up at The O2'

Saturday May 9, 2026.

For Keilyn's 13th birthday my mum bought her a ticket to climb over the O2 Arena. Not wanting to miss out, Emma bought me a ticket, so that I could join her. My uncle Martin would be joining us for the day, although he wouldn't be taking part in the climb. Instead he would be taking photos of our ascent and descent, while also exploring the public art along Olympian Way.

Arriving at Base Camp, we checked in and I was issued with a rubber wristband that contained a sensor, before we were ushered into a waiting room, where a video showed us what to expect from our climb. It went on to show climbs completed in the evening, at Christmas and at sunset. 

It then showed climbers taking part in yoga classes, listening to live music, dancing, performing record-breaking displays, along with a lot more, all on top of the O2 Arena.

Our group of thirteen was then joined by Conner, who would be our guide for the climb. He left us to watch a four-minute safety video, before taking us through to get kitted out for the climb. Keilyn, who was wearing trainers, was issued with a pair of sturdy high-grip shoes, while I was okay to wear my walking boots. I was issued with a gilet, which had zipped pockets to store our phones in, with 'Get Over It' emblazoned across the back. Once Keilyn had placed her shoes in a blue storage box, picking one with a 'SpongeBob SquarePants' sticker on it, rather than a number, we handed it to Conner and collected a clasp each, before he issued us each with a harness.

We then made our way outside and formed a line as Conner explained how to put on the harness, fasten it tight and to attach the 'C' clamp. He then checked each individual harness, before sending us up the stairs to the start point. Keilyn's harness was different from mine, as it had zipped pockets incorporated into its design, so she secured her phone in it.

Walking with family: 'Up at The O2' and Rotherhithe to Tower Bridge... and beyond

Saturday May 9, 2026.

A cloudy start turning sunny in the afternoon, at 21°C (69°F).

For Keilyn's 13th birthday, last Thursday, my mum bought her a ticket for the 'Climb Up at The O2', which was something that she has always wanted to do. Emma purchased me a ticket, so that I could do the climb with Keilyn, as it was something that I wanted to do, too. As my mum was unable to accompany us, my uncle Martin would be joining us for the day, to take photos of our climb.

We set off from Croxley station, where we boarded a Metropolitan line train towards Baker Street, alighting at Finchley Road, where we took a Stratford-bound Jubilee line train to North Greenwich. The journey time was around 1 hour, so we ended up at The O2 with plenty of time to spare. 

Martin purchased a drink and a roll, from Starbucks, which he ate in the shade, while Keilyn and I tucked into our sandwiches and drinks. 

Just after 11:30 Keilyn and I made our way to 'Base Camp', with Martin waiting in the shade. As we were early we were allowed to join the 11:45 climb, and made our way through the waiting area. We were soon joined by 11 more climbers and our guide, Conner, who, after showing us a four-minute safety video took us through to get kitted out.

We then made our way outside, where we put on our harness, and clamp, before heading up the stairs to the starting point. By now Martin had headed towards Base Camp, from where he would watch and take photos of our ascent. Here we were met by Emma, who took photos of us all, before we set off on the 30° incline, with Keilyn leading the pack.

Photo ©Martin Bullock.

We stopped where the walkway took on a less acute angle, allowing the others to catch up, before setting off for the centre of the O2. Daisy's group, that had started before us, were still taking in the sights, from the viewpoint, so we joined them, before they headed down and left the thirteen of us to take in the view.

Tower Hamlets Cemetery (City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery) (Bow Cemetery)

For hundreds of years people were buried in their local churchyards, of which there are many in and around the city. However, following a mass migration of people to London, during the industrial revolution, the population exploded from 1 million to 2.3 million in just 50 years, resulting in churchyards becoming full.

In 1832, an Act of Parliament encouraged the creation of private garden cemeteries, outside of central London, as a way to relieve pressure on local churchyards. Various companies were formed, land bought and, between 1833 and 1845, eight private cemeteries were opened. They were: Kensal Green (1833), West Norwood (1837), Highgate (1839), Abney Park (1840), Brompton (1840), Nunhead (1840), City of London and Tower Hamlets (1841) and Victoria Park Cemetery (1845).