Lambeth council, which compulsorily purchased the cemetery more than 50 years ago, recently withdrew security to save money and campaigners are calling for urgent action to protect listed monuments from ruin. Prof Bob Flanagan, an academic at London University and chairman of the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery (FoWNC), told the Guardian that this was no way to treat the dead. Pigeon droppings inside are 70cm high.”The octagonal Vagliano mausoleum at West Norwood Cemetery, modelled on the ancient Tower of the Winds in Athens. “Lambeth council does not seem to have the means to take action. The South Metropolitan Cemetery at Norwood, founded in 1837, was bought by the London Borough of Lambeth in 1966 and renamed West Norwood Cemetery.

Source: The Guardian May 31, 2021 04:52 UTC