I was so lucky to be within easy walking distance of this lovely and fascinating cemetery. It was very much like a park, in terms of its atmosphere and trees, with the added interest of being not only an old (opened in 1840) but also a still used burial ground. I took many walks here, although not as many as I wish I had, both alone and with guests, who enjoyed it as much as I did.

It's a very large park, and walking into it you immediately leave the bustle of Old Brompton and Fulham Roads behind you. But it's still very much a part of the neighborhood, and you can see some of its surroundings in these photos. On the left on top are some of the houses along Ifield Road, just a block from my flat, and on the right you can just barely see the futuristic-looking superstructure of Stamford Bridge, home grounds of Chelsea, one of the most successful English football franchises. On the bottom is a look beyond the cemetery on the other end from Stamford Bridge. The large structure here is Earl's Court Two, an enormous exhibition center (at least, the red-trimmed part is; I assume the high rise is also part of this development, but it might be a separate building).

But the major appeal of the park are its peaceful little paths and the fascinating headstones and memorials that crowd on either side of them.

Toward the Fulham Road end of the cemetery there are some more imposing strucures, including a small chapel. The colonnades around this area, called the Great Circle on the official map, are used as burial vaults, both above and below ground. (This is the section of the cemetery on view in an important scene in the newest Sherlock Holmes movie incarnation!)

Another way that the cemetery is like a park is its wildlife. Henry got this really cute picture of a squirrel—without tourists huddled around it, as they would be around one of his central London cousins:

We took a lot more photos on different visits to the cemetery. You can see more in this Flickr set.

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