Black History Month tour of West Norwood Cemetery with Andrea Woodside

Andrea Woodside will show you round the cemetery including issues relating to burials for the black communities of the time.

Andrea will take you on a tour which explores a wide range of lives lived from the Victorian through to more recent times. You’ll be introduced to some of the Victorians who worked for positive social change.

This Black History Month tour will introduce some of London's modern heroes whose legacy continues to improve the lives of people here in the UK and the Caribbean. Windrush Pioneers buried in the cemetery have had an enormous and lasting impact on race relations, both in this area and across the nation. You'll also be introduced to local residents of the pre-Windrush generation, and why some are not memorialised here.

You will visit the Greek enclosure which was established from a real-life Greek Tragedy, and from which developed a rich cultural and social history, exemplified by memorials of considerable beauty and interest, 18 of which are listed.

You’ll hear a Victorian love story, learn about the roots of beloved national foods, and see the widest range of memorial styles that you can imagine, in this the first Gothic Revival commercial cemetery. Andrea has a special interest in Victorian funerary symbolism which is abundant at West Norwood, and you’ll learn about the meaning of a range of symbols.

This is a Friends of West Norwood Cemetery guided walk.
It is completely FREE, but booking is essential due to limited places