Guided walk through one of London's Magnificent Seven with guides from the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery (£10 donation)

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

WWII Graves at West Norwood Cemetery

There are commemorations of 70 service personnel and over 160 civilian fatal casualties from the Second World War in West Norwood Cemetery. This walk, lasting some 1.5 hours, will visit 20 monuments including those of civilian victims of the Blitz and V1/V2 attacks, and those of service personnel from all services and theatres of war, including prisoners of both the Japanese and Germans. The aim of the walk is to discover what these memorials tell us about the global scope of the war, the development of the air war which relates to the civilian and RAF casualties, as well as aspects of the human tragedies involved.

The walk will be led by the cemetery’s military historians, Peter Hodgkinson and John Clarke. The itinerary will cover two-thirds of the cemetery and will leave the paths, so appropriate footwear is essential.

Their latest book, West Norwood Cemetery and the Second World War (2025), will be on sale, as will their previous book, Norwood & The Great War: Reflections on Military & Social History (2022).

We will meet at the War Memorial in front of the arched (main) entrance for a prompt start. If you have any mobility concerns, please get in touch with me and I can advise. Unfortunately, dogs (even on leads) are not allowed in the cemetery.

West Norwood Cemetery (SE27 9JU) is located next to St Luke's Church and West Norwood Library. Buses: 2, 68, 196, 315, 322, 432 and 468 (several of these routes go via Brixton Tube Station: 2, 196, 322, 432) or West Norwood Station (trains to and from London Bridge/Victoria). Limited off-street parking is available.

TICKETS: This tour is being offered on behalf of The Friends of West Norwood Cemetery. Your £10 donation will help us to continue to preserve this very special space. Please note that Peter and John will be leading a tour of WWI graves on the same day at 2pm. For anyone wishing to buy tickets for both tours, the second tour is half-price at £5. Please use the special booking link provided if you wish to attend both tours.

Description supplied by the event organiser.