Glasgow Necropolis

The Glasgow Necropolis is a fascinating Victorian cemetery on a prominent hill east of Glasgow Cathedral. More than 50,000 people have been buried here, although only a few monuments have names, and not every grave has a stone. Roughly 3,500 monuments exist here, making it a truly unique destination for anyone interested in history or architecture. The creation of Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris sparked a wave of pressure for cemeteries in Britain, requiring a change in the law to allow burial for profit. Glasgow was among the first to join this campaign, and the cemetery planning was started in 1831 by the Merchants’ House of Glasgow in anticipation of a change in the law. Glasgow Necropolis officially opened in April 1833, a year after the Cemeteries Act passed. It’s fascinating to see how this cemetery played a role in the changing social and legal landscape of the time.