There are so many points of interest in Kensal Green Cemetery, we created a complete tour for the site. Here is a potted history of the cemetery as a whole

Inspired by the celebrated Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, Kensal Green opened in 1833 and covers 72 acres of land – that’s 41 football (soccer) pitches! It was the first of London’s purpose-built “Magnificent Seven” cemeteries (the other six being Highgate, West Norwood, Abney Park, Brompton, Nunhead and Tower Hamlets). Designed to alleviate overcrowding in churchyards during the 19th century, these cemeteries only gained their nickname in 1981 – after the Western movie of the same name.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the population of London had doubled to 2.3 million. Overcrowded graveyards meant decaying bodies were contaminating the water system – causing epidemics. In 1832, an Act of Parliament was passed that allowed the creation of new “private cemeteries” outside of London. This led to the creation of the seven big cemeteries, all of which were indeed, at the time, beyond the city limits.

Another Act of Parliament states that the cemetery can never be built on. Once full, it must be turned into a memorial park. However, the cemetery is currently threatened by a major project to build high-rise flats – not in the grounds itself, but around the perimeter.

There are approximately 65,000 graves, containing a quarter of a million people, including 500 members of the British aristocracy. Celebrities buried here include Alan Rickman, Ingrid Bergman and (it is said) Freddie Mercury, in secret.

There is actually at least one EMPTY GRAVE in the cemetery. The two-year-old daughter of Winston Churchill was originally buried at KG. Eighty-eight years after her death, her family moved her body to the family churchyard elsewhere, but her original grave and monument remain.

The cemetery is a fascinating, photogenic and surprisingly peaceful place to visit, and there are loads of Lockwood & Co scenes from the TV series that leap out at you as you walk around.

Although the main action in Kensal Green cemetery begins in episode 4, the first time we actually see it is in the preceding episode, for the funeral of Sam Pandy, found (at last) at Combe Carey Hall. Although it obviously made sense to film a funeral at the KG location base, presumably the scene is supposed to be set at a different graveyard, because the trio don’t mention they’ve been there to Saunders in episode 4.
If you want to create the shot of the trio standing at a distance watching the ceremony, they stood on the patch of grass to the right of the path where it joins the junction.
The distinctive raised patch of ground, flanked by unusual monuments, does not contain any graves and so holes can actually be dug there; indeed, it would seem, judging from recent ground disturbances, that Sam’s has not been the only “funeral” filmed in that spot!

Beneath the Anglican chapel at Kensal Green cemetery, there are indeed catacombs – and there is a catafalque to lower bodies to the crypt inside the chapel itself, as seen in the show. There are actually three catacombs at KG. Two are currently sealed. One due to bomb damage in the second world war. The catacomb under the chapel is technically still open for new internments.

However, all the scenes actually in the catacombs for the show were filmed in two other places – Clerkenwell Old Prison and St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square, and in the show, the entrance is never shown.

The central avenue in Kensal Green cemetery runs all the way from the eastern entrance to the main chapel, and is probably best seen when the trio are walking into the cemetery at the start of episode 5 (and having a contretemps with Kipps and Kat). The last stretch, from a small crossroads up to the steps of the chapel, is where the night watch, gravediggers, sensitives and hot dog stands are in episode 4 (“The cemetery really comes alive at night!”). That small section of the path, including the crossroads, is also the scene for many of the big graveyard/Bickerstaff moments in episode 4 and the fighting in episode 8.

As you look from the steps of the chapel down the central avenue, you see a crossroads a few yards down the path. Many of the KG scenes were filmed just in that small area of the intersection, and a few yards up the other path. The apron of grass that surrounds the crossroads was the location for Bickerstaff’s grave and the Skull gravestone that mesmerises Lucy, and also the point from which Lucy throws her sword at Bickerstaff’s ghost. The graves to the left as you approach the crossroads from the chapel are where Bobby escaped his pursuer in episode 8. In the middle of the path that goes left at the crossroads, they built the mausoleum that Kat, Bobby and Ned hide on top of in the same episode.

The Skull gravestone is actually a prop: when you look at an image of the scene in episode 4 and compare it with a photo of the real crossroads, you can see that a row of fake gravestones has been built on the patch of grass in front of the real ones (which are just visible in the background), including the Skull grave.

Ironically, close to the location for Sam Pandy’s grave there is an entire family’s worth of Skull graves. That is a small collection of graves belonging to a family with the last name “Skull”!

In this scene in the back of Penelope’s Rolls-Royce, we see the head of Fittes and Golden Blade conspiring again, before they drive off down a dusty path, unsuspected. If you’re standing on the steps of the cemetery facing down the central avenue, that path is on your right, leading down to the cemetery’s canalside wall. (In fact, it’s not a great route to take, as it just takes you the long way round back to the eastern entrance.)

The beautiful Anglican chapel, one of four in the cemetery, is the visual focal point for the Kensal Green scenes, from Lockwood’s smooth speech soothing the worried Sweet Dreams workers to the big fight with Winkman’s heavies on the steps. It’s a Grade I listed building (the highest preservation level), and, just as in the book and the show, has catacombs beneath it, and a catafalque (restored in the 1990s) in the chapel to lower coffins into them. Interior scenes in episodes 5 and 8 (including George’s triumphant dismantling of Bobby) were shot in the chapel itself, with its big stained-glass window, but the KG catacombs were not used for filming.

Sadly the chapel is not in the best repair, and had to have extensive remediation work done a couple of years ago. But there’s still nothing quite like standing on the steps or at the big green door!

As you look from the steps of the chapel down the central avenue, you see a crossroads a few yards down the path. Many of the KG scenes were filmed just in that small area of the intersection, and a few yards up the other path. The apron of grass that surrounds the crossroads was the location for Bickerstaff’s grave and the Skull gravestone that mesmerises Lucy, and also the point from which Lucy throws her sword at Bickerstaff’s ghost. The graves to the left as you approach the crossroads from the chapel are where Bobby escaped his pursuer in episode 8. In the middle of the path that goes left at the crossroads, they built the mausoleum that Kat, Bobby and Ned hide on top of in the same episode..

The grave for Bickerstaff’s coffin was dug into the apron of grass on the right of the crossroads, as you approach it from the chapel – and some years later, it is still just possible to see the disturbance in the ground! Interestingly, although Lucy seems to throw the sword a long way to hit Bickerstaff’s ghost when he rises, the place where she actually throws from is the opposite side of the crossroads, just a couple of yards away, with camera angles giving the illusion of distance.

Far from the chapel and the centre of the action surrounding the case, George finds the body of Danny Clough in a quiet south-eastern corner where the cemetery opens on to the Grand Union Canal. Although there is a wall along most of the cemetery’s frontage with the canal, there is a small gap that leads to a little landing area. The gravestone that George finds bloody handprints on is still there, but recently the area has been temporarily fenced off, so it’s not possible to go all the way down to the water’s edge.

Although the main action in Kensal Green cemetery begins in episode 4, the first time we actually see it is in the preceding episode, for the funeral of Sam Pandy, found (at last) at Combe Carey Hall. Although it obviously made sense to film a funeral at the KG location base, presumably the scene is supposed to be set at a different graveyard, because the trio don’t mention they’ve been there to Saunders in episode 4.
After the funeral is the trio’s first encounter with Penelope – dangerously charming as ever. This takes place on the path leading down to the funeral site (as you can see from the scene, with the grave in the background). “She seemed nice!” says Lucy. Hmm.

The “Skull” Tour extends beyond Kensal Green Cemetery to a few street scenes and canal-side shots. For more information, why not explore our Skull Tour?.