Brompton Cemetery
12.6 miles walked
Per Act of Parliament in 1840 the cemetery was one of many established to ease the burden of increasingly crowded inner London cemeteries. Brompton Cemetery is one of the ’Magnificent Seven Cemeteries,’ all were privately funded, forming a ring outside of London. Currently as part of the Royal Parks, Brompton hosts over 35,000 graves and over 205,000 interments.
The catacombs – built with intentions of being a cheaper alternative to graves, 2,000+ shelves are mostly empty only 500-ish shelves are occupied. Possibly, exploding coffins reacting to exposed gases of bodies deterred many from the convenience of visiting loved ones in addition to unstable tunnels and structures in the catacombs.
Today – as one of Britain’s oldest garden cemeteries, this is a wonderful place to walk the dog or even do a few laps around for a run. Beatrix Potter was rumored to have walked the grounds often & found inspiration amongst the names. A few celebrities buried here are of note to tourists & locals alike, but the story of Long Wolf and White Star caught my attention.
Long Wolf of the Oglala Sioux – being a participant in the Battle of Little Bighorn his body had several scars from defending his people’s homeland. When Native Americans had been defeated by people of my color, Long Wolf joined Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show. Being in ill health as the Show traveled around Europe – Long Wolf passed in London in 1892.
Long Wolf’s ending is a rightful one – Brompton Cemetery explains how Buffalo Bill Cody had purchased the distinguished plot & commissioned the headstone of Long Wolf’s design. The body of Long Wolf resided in Brompton for over 100 years (1892-1996) before returning to his homeland. His body received a grand ceremony from his descendents at their ancestral burial grounds at Pine Ridge Reservation, at Wounded Knee in South Dakota.
White Star – little is known about this young girl who was a part of the Show with Long Wolf. The girl died shortly after Long Wolf’s passing, from performing a stunt in the Show. Her body was placed atop the grave of Long Wolf’s in Brompton Cemetery – she made the journey back to Pine Ridge Reservation.
We walked from Brompton Cemetery across Battersea Bridge for a Boot Sale. After finding some goodies – we had a delicious lunch at The Lighthouse.
Albert Bridge was our intended crossing bridge – but due to filming it was closed & traffic, including foot was re-directed. We accepted the additional mileage of walking and crossed Chelsea Bridge.
Chelsea in Bloom – the free annual flower festival was undeway. We passed by Clarence the Corgi on Sloan St & saw a multitude of other fanciful flower displays along the way towards Harrod’s.
Gifts purchased at Harrod’s – we headed back to the flat through Hyde Park. Dinner may have been the salmon sushi pizza & a margherita pizza.
SquirrelyGrl Tales 