A Field Trip to Golders Green Crematorium

I know, I know--Why, you ask, would you take a class on a field trip to a crematorium? Well, we read "Dracula," and Bram Stoker's ashes are at this place. More than that, in our class called "Myth, Legend and Horror in British Literature" we explore things that horrify people and look at ways that they deal with those things.

After cremation was made legal in England in the late 19th century, this was the first crematorium built in london (1902). It's all along the left here.

The crematorium and grounds cover 20+ acres. The building is in Romanesque Revival style, and is really quite beautiful. This view is from the garden side. It has several chapels, and they switch out the trappings depending on the preferences of the deceased/family. They do 6-10 services a day, and on our day the list included Church of England, Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, atheist, and no preference.

The choices for what is done with the ashes include being taken away, placed in a container in one of the columbariums (for a leased period of time), placed in or around a tree or plant of some kind with a marker, or scattered on the big lawn. The grounds are very parklike, and people can come and sit on benches as long as they want.

One little area with memorial plaques on the wall. Peter Sellers is back there.

Here ashes are under the markers and plantings.

I really liked the architecture.

Eric, the very nice guy who showed us around, said that people still show up for anniversaries of these guys.

I'm really fond of the colonnade.

There are sevral columbariums, each from a different era and with different styles in the containers and memorials.

The last of the towers. there is no more land to build on.

Here are a few of the folk who reside here. This husband and wife were on the Titanic in first class. He put her in the lifeboat and then he drowned when the ship sank. They recoverd his body, and now he is here.

The author of "Dracula."

Yours truly with Freud's ashes. He is in a 3rd century Greek urn that he used to own. Anna Freud is nearby. My psych students were very happy to have made this discovery.

Probably the most famous ballarina ever--Anna Pavlova.

We got a "backstage tour" as well. These are the "retorts" where the cremations happen.

When the bones come out, they go in the dryer-looking machine and then are reduced to powder.

Each container holds ashes waiting for whatever the family wants to do with them.

Since 1902 over 300,000 cremations have taken place with over 150,000 scattered on this lawn.

This is such a beautiful and peaceful place and is not in the least morbid or depressing.