Name: Memento Mori, the Victorian Way of Death
Start: 2025-10-18T11:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-10-18T12:30:00+01:00
Location: West Norwood Cemetery

Memento Mori, the Victorian Way of Death

Learn more about how the Victorians marked death through elaborate rituals, some of which we continue to practice today.
About this Event

The Friends of West Norwood Cemetery is a charity dedicated to the care and preservation of this extraordinary cemetery.

The Latin memento mori translates to "remember you must die” and serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death which was a popular theme of the Victorian. The Victorians had a more familiar relationship with death than we do today, in part because death was a more visible part of their daily lives, but also because mourning was a highly ritualised and socially regulated process.

Join us and get close to the Victorian way of death; understand the elaborate rules of mourning, and what lies behind rituals such as Telling the Bees. Learn about the tradition of funeral biscuits and hear about why sin eaters and funeral mutes elevated any funeral to the meet the most discerning tastes. We will also explore the meaning of many of the gravestone symbols to be found within the cemetery and hear about the largest funeral procession West Norwood Cemetery has ever seen!

Good to know: The cemetery is quite hilly in parts and may be a challenge for people with mobility issues. If you have any concerns, please get in touch with us before the day so we can advise. We do recommend wearing sturdy walking shoes as the tour will go off path at times. Please note that while there are toilets available at the crematorium which we will arrive at halfway through the tour, you will also find toilets at West Norwood Library which is next door to the cemetery. Unfortunately, dogs, even on leads are not allowed in the cemetery.

How to find us: West Norwood Cemetery and Crematorium (SE27 9JU) is close to St Luke's Church and right next door to West Norwood Library.

Buses: 2, 68, 196, 315, 322, 432 and 468 (several of these routes go via Brixton Tube): 2, 196, 322, 432). Alight at Robson Road stop.

Rail: Tulse Hill Station is a ten-minute walk from the cemetery, while West Norwood Station is the closest (trains to and from London Bridge and Victoria).

Parking: There is limited car parking within the cemetery.