Kensal Green Cemetery

As part of my goal to see more of London before I leave in June, I recently visited the Kensal Green Cemetery near my flat. When I say near my flat, I literally mean a five- minute walk down the road. Despite living in the same place for the last year and a half, I just hadn't had time to take to stroll London's first garden cemetery. Kensal Green is also one of the last of seven magnificent cemeteries in London. 

Kensal Green Cemetery was opened in 1833 and takes up 72 acres of land. It borders the Grand Union Canal. Kensal Green is a distinctive cemetery as noted by many writers and historians for the various memorials that you pass as you stroll the grounds. I certainly noticed that right away- there was no one section for the grandiose mausoleums. The cemetery is still used today as I saw many recent stone markers. 

There is also an  Anglican Chapel and a Reformers' Memorial on the grounds. 

The cemetery is the resting ground for many famous people. The inventor of Pears soap, the founder of W.H. Smith Bookstore, Winston Churchill's daughter, and many famous actors and singers of their day. A few famous cremations have also occurred on the grounds including Joe Stummer's. 

I didn't get to spend too much time visiting the Cemetery as it was starting to rain, but it is full of history. Seeing the grand designs of the graves and mausoleums is worth a visit in and of itself! 

Have you visited Kensal Green Cemetery? 

A Little Rock 'n Roll

When you think of the London tourism market, there are a few things you think of right away. 

The London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, etc.

You get the picture.

I think of the same things, but as my time in England begins to draw to a close, I've been making it a point to find hidden treasures. If you're a regular follower, you know I've found the location where the last D-Day briefing was among other gems. 

St. John's in Notting Hill 

One of the things that I've been interested in was learning more about the Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove area.  Knowing general history of the area especially with the notable musicians that hung out in the area in the 1960s and 1970s, I did a simple Google search to see if anything interesting sprung up for locations. Let's just say that I got more things to do than I expected! 

Last week, I hunted down two key places based on the Google search results that I got. 

The first? The building or rather house where Jimi Hendrix was found dead.  22 Lansdowne Crescent was the former Samarkand Hotel where Hendrix was found in dead in the basement in September 1970. 

Down the road, I found my second destination of the day. The Elgin Pub is a pub that I literally pass multiple times a day on my way to school, run errands, or just take in London life. Joe Strummer used to play and hang out at this local spot in Ladbroke Grove before he joined the Clash! 

The hidden treasures of London are my favorite! Stay tuned for what I find next!