Glasgow Necropolis, Glasgow, United Kingdom

The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian age cemetery on a low but very prominent hill to the east of Glasgow Cathedral. Fifty thousand individuals have been buried here. Typical for the period, only a small percentage are named on monuments and not every grave has a stone. Approximately 3,500 monuments exist here.

Predating the cemetery, the statue of John Knox sitting on a column at the top of the hill, dates from 1825. The first burials were in 1832 in the extreme north-east on the lowest ground and were exclusively for Jewish burials.

Alexander Thomson designed a number of its tombs, and John Bryce and David Hamilton designed other architecture for the grounds.

The main entrance is approached by a bridge over what was then the Molendinar Burn. The bridge, which was designed by David Hamilton was completed in 1836. It became known as the 'Bridge of Sighs' because it was part of the route of funeral processions (the name is an allusion to the Bridge of Sighs in Venice). The ornate gates (by both David and James Hamilton) were erected in 1838, restricting access onto the bridge.

Three modern memorials lie between the gates and the bridge: a memorial to still-born children, a memorial to the Korean War and a memorial to Glaswegian recipients of the Victoria Cross.

References:

Wikipedia

Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Sam Williams (4 months ago)
Really enjoyed my visit but to be honest the highlight of it was hearing some random Glaswegian admiring my camera.

William (5 months ago)
I had never been here before, despite driving past a few times. It is very hilly, so be ready for a steep walk to the too. The views of the city are lovely. Glasgow cathedral is across the bridge within walking distance. Some of the tombs and memorials are incredible. The monument to John Knox is probably the most prominent, and contains a lot of information about the man and his history. Obviously graveyards are not for everyone, but for something different in the city this is worth a look.

Marija M. (5 months ago)
A beautiful place with a good view over the city. It is quite close to the George Square.

Michael Owen (10 months ago)
A short walk up from Glasgow Cathedral, this is a beautiful grand cemetery. Enjoy amazing views and a peaceful stroll among the graves and mausoleums of Glaswegians of the day. If you head back down Church Lane to Castle Street, you will find Provand's Lordship. Built in 1471, it is one of the four surviving medieval buildings in Glasgow.

Josh Clibery (11 months ago)
Spooky! Such a cool place to visit and was amazed at how big it is, nice to see it is well respected and looked after, shame the weather was bad so I couldn't get too good photos, definitely a place to go if in Glasgow! Also fascinating to see the graves which the names inspired JK Rowling to name some character in the books, if you want to find out you'll have to go and look yourself!

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