Glasgow Necropolis Reviews (Glasgow, Scotland)

Gothic graveyard

CA1 1LA, England, United Kingdom

May 29, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo When I visit places I try to find something unusual to go and see. I do have a bit of a fascination with the macabre so when looking for things to see and do in Glasgow I was immediately drawn towards visiting the city’s Necropolis. It was the name ...Read more When I visit places I try to find something unusual to go and see. I do have a bit of a fascination with the macabre so when looking for things to see and do in Glasgow I was immediately drawn towards visiting the city’s Necropolis. It was the name more than anything that drew me in as I knew that Necropolis meant city of the dead in Latin and I envisioned a huge gothic cemetery. Unfortunately when I visited it was nowhere near as dramatic as in my imagination but it still makes for a diverting hour or so and is close enough to the city centre that you don’t have to go too far out of your way to visit it.

The Glasgow Necropolis is basically a Victorian cemetery that is located adjacent to St Mungos Cathedral close to the city centre.
It is a sprawling cemetery and covers an area of over 37 acres. Parts of the Necropolis are on a hill so if you wish to visit then be prepared to do some walking.

When I heard the word Necropolis I thought underground for some reason but this necropolis is completely above ground. There are some amazing architectural monuments here which are interesting to see as well as some beautiful crypts and headstones which are really ornate. There is also a statue of John Knox in the cemetery which predates the building of the crypts.

Although there are some amazing architectural gems here it is a shame that a lot of them are being left to decay and some of them looked a little downtrodden and uncared for. I suppose this does add to the gothic feel of the place but it is a shame to see these amazing pieces fall into neglect.

Some of the headstones and crypts were designed by famous Glaswegians such as a Celtic cross which was designed by Charles Rennie Macintosh and a tomb slab by Talwin Morris. I didn’t know at the time who designed what as there was very little in the way of signs to tell visitors what is what and it could really do with some more information being offered.

The Necropolis was a strange place to visit but I enjoyed seeing the tombs and the ornate headstones from the Victorian era and the sedate pace was a nice change from the hecticness of the city centre.
I hope that Glasgow city council spend some more time and money in restoring these tombs and on their upkeep as they deserve to be preserved as close to how they originally looked as is possible so that future generations can also appreciate them.
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An old cemetery

by Cindy Grant

Petersburg, Virginia

June 26, 2011

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The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery, next to Glasgow Cathedral up on the hill, with more than 50000 burials taking place there, some more than 14 feet deep. Meticulous records were kept of all the burials. A great place to look around, ...Read more

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Necropolis Spooky or Beauty?

by DutchLassie

Glasgow, United Kingdom

January 24, 2003

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Located on a hill overlooking the Glasgow Cathedral, you find a different kind of city all together - monumental lodgings for Glaswegians who have exhanged the earthly for the eternal. The Necropolis gives you a different insight into the past as ...Read more

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Glasgow Necropolis

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Gothic graveyard

An old cemetery

Necropolis Spooky or Beauty?

Glasgow Necropolis

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Gothic graveyard

An old cemetery

Necropolis Spooky or Beauty?