The New Curiosity Shop

In our hectic ‘24/7’ lifestyles our Victorian cemeteries remain a haven of peace. Our Victorian graveyards can shed light on our society, and tell us a lot about ourselves. This course aims to reveal what a positive contribution Victorian cemeteries can make to life in the early 21st century.

It will tell the story of the garden cemetery from its cultural roots in classical antiquity and the ‘Graveyard Poets’ of the eighteenth century to its apotheosis in the seven great cemeteries which ringed London by 1850. It will look at the key players in its creation, how it was built and what it looks like today. It will also look at the signs and symbols used on Victorian memorials and which represent a lost language of high-minded morality and touching sentimentality.

Outline

1: The cultural and literary roots of the garden cemetery.

2: An examination of the social factors which led to the creation of the garden cemetery.

3: The main case study: A look at the context and creation of the cemetery of All Souls Kensal Green.

4: Continuing the case study by examining the state of All Souls Kensal Green as it is today.

5: An examination of symbolism as it was used in the Victorian garden cemeteries.

6: A look at the place of the Victorian cemetery in contemporary society.

Who should take this course?

The course is aimed at anyone with an enquiring mind who wants to find out more about the development of the Victorian garden cemetery. No prior knowledge is assumed; just an interest in the subject.

Follow on

The research skills developed on the course can applied to other subject areas, particularly where the Internet is involved. You will hopefully be inspired to continue your studies in any number of fields, for example: local history; family history; architecture and building design; geology and natural history.

You will need

Although the majority of the material for the course is supplied online (in the course or via links to other sites) you will need to buy or borrow one book before the course starts. It is Mausoleums by Lynn F. Pearson, 2002, Princes Risborough, Shire Publications Ltd– available from Shire Books or Amazon.

Entry Requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this course, but it would be helpful if you are familiar with the Internet as a research tool and your local reference library.

How long is this course?

This course lasts 7 weeks.

Your tutor

Your tutor for this course is David Borrill. You can find out more about David on the Tutors page.

Further information

Do you have any further questions? Visit our Contact Us page and ask away.