The Royal Parks (TRP) has secured nearly £4.5million Parks for People funding from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to protect the future of London's historic Brompton Cemetery. TRP will also invest a further £1.2m into the project with an additional £500,000 coming from its charity, The Royal Parks Foundation.

The 39 acres of green space is one of the oldest designed Grade I cemeteries in the country. It houses some unique and historic monuments including a picturesque chapel, said tobe inspired by the piazza of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Among the 205,000 people buried are notable figures including suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and Queen Victoria’s surgeon Sir Thomas Spencer Wells as well as thousands of former Chelsea Pensioners.

Now, thanks to this £6.2m project, the cemetery will undergo a major facelift which will help recreate Benjamin Baud's 1840 vision. The project will also reflect the needs of a wide range of visitors while protecting the cemetery's wildlife.

It will involve:

• Turning the North Lodge into a visitor centre, shop, cafe and accessible toilets with two small pavilion extensions
• Restoring the majestic chapel, central colonnades and catacombs
• Conserving the historic landscape, buildings and monuments
• Wildlife conservation to maintain and improve existing habitats
• Improving the community use of the cemetery with facilities and activities
• A volunteering programme to help conserve and interpret the cemetery
• Improving the funerary business to reinvigorate it as a working cemetery
• Presenting the 19th- and 20th-century history of the site in a 21st century way.

TRP Director Greg McErlean, who is leading the project, said: “This project is focused on transforming a superb but relatively little-known Victorian cemetery into a vital 21st-century community asset that delights visitors from further afield and serves as a source of inspiration for other cemetery managers.

"TRP is at the forefront of modern-day management of parks and other green spaces such as Brompton, and I’m delighted that this has been recognised by both the National Lottery and planners. Our vision is to make Brompton a real community asset, and that is why I’m so pleased that the local community has had a big say in what should be included in this project.”

Vital restoration

Today’s news comes as part of a £32m funding announcement for parks and cemeteries across the UK.

Head of HLF London Stuart Hobley said on behalf of HLF and BIG: “London’s parks and cemeteries provide vital connections to our history, our community and our natural heritage.

"This grant will carry out vital restoration right across this extraordinary cemetery; saving a building at risk and creating wonderful opportunity for wildlife and local people. With help from National Lottery players, Brompton will be magnificent again!”

Arthur Tait, Chairman of the Friends of Brompton Cemetery, said: “The project will help bring a new lease of life to the cemetery; from conserving the landscape and buildings to providing visitor, volunteer and information facilities. It will be a hub for volunteering, training and a place of relaxation for children and families while still being a haven for those who want peace, quiet and beauty.”

Increased pressure on budgets and question marks over the future management of Brompton Cemetery has meant its condition has deteriorated over the years.

Royal Parks Board member Wesley Kerr said: “Brompton Cemetery is as much for the living as for the dead. It is architecturally astonishing, full of magnificent sculptures, monuments and buildings set in a very beautiful designed landscape. It is a place where history comes alive and a marvellous communal green space for a densely populated part of London. We aim to make this a model restoration of an urban garden cemetery, with sympathetic conservation of the original buildings, modern facilities, innovative interpretation and story-telling  Brompton will continue to be a haven for wildlife and will combine great horticulture with areas of wilderness.

“TRP has a long record of conserving and managing some of our most precious parks and monuments. But finances are tight, and we are immensely grateful to the National Lottery for enabling this project, which we hope will be an outstanding exemplar of the role cemeteries can play in our environmental and social ecology.”

Calling for volunteers

The Royal Parks Foundation has raised half of its £500,000 target, but additional generous support is needed, as Chief Executive Sara Lom explains: “Brompton Cemetery is a beautiful monument to our nation’s history. It’s a final place of rest for notable figures and unsung heroes in equal measure. The Royal Parks Foundation invites the local community, including visitors, friends, companies and trusts to make their mark by supporting this delicate and much needed conservation project. Together we can create a successful conservation model that celebrates urban green spaces and beautiful cemeteries across the land. Please help us to make this possible.”

As well as funding, the project is also calling out for volunteers who will play a huge part in the future management and enjoyment of the cemetery. To find out more about volunteering opportunities visit The Royal Parks website.

Notes to editors

To date, more than £776m of money raised by National Lottery players has been invested in parks since 1996.

About Brompton Cemetery

Brompton Cemetery is a Site of Nature Conservation Importance and is managed by TRP on behalf of the nation. It is one of London’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ historic cemeteries, which were established in the suburbs of London during the mid 19th century to respond to the demands of a rapidly growing city. The original plan for the 39-acre cemetery was for it to be a garden for public recreation as well as providing burial space. Brompton Cemetery is listed as Grade I  on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Historic Importance. Many of the monuments are of architectural or historic interest including some which are listed at Grade II* or Grade II.

About The Royal Parks

Every year there are an estimated 77m visits to London’s eight Royal Parks. The 5,000 acres of historic parkland provide unparalleled opportunities for enjoyment, exploration and healthy living in the heart of London.

The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James's Park. TRP also manages Victoria Tower Gardens, Brompton Cemetery, Grosvenor Square Garden and the gardens of 10, 11 and 12 Downing Street.

Further information

The Royal Parks: on tel: 0300 061 2128 and via email: press@royalparks.gsi.gov.uk

HLF Press Office: Rebecca Lamm on tel: 020 7591 6207 and via email: Rebecca.Lamm@hlf.org.uk; or Katie Owen on tel: 020 7591 6036

BIG Press Office: Anupa Devi on tel: 020 7211 1888 and via email: Anupa.Devi@biglotteryfund.org.uk