We are delighted to be back at Nunhead Cemetery for the Delivery Phase of East Lodge – From Ruin to Revival.

Nunhead Cemetery is one of London’s Magnificent Seven Victorian burial grounds. It is home to thousands of people’s stories, all set within a beautiful natural environment. Southwark and the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery’s successful National Lottery Heritage Fund bid means more of these stories will be shared digitally and on-site.

The original project aim was to restore the cemetery’s ruined gatehouse for community use. Last spring, the NLHF awarded £3.7 million to Southwark and FONC for the expanded project. This funding, with match funding from Southwark themselves, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Pilgrim’s Trust and Historic England, enables:

• A café and community spaces in the East Lodge itself
• A new hub for the Friends’ work in the cemetery
• a rich programme of activities run by the new Outreach and Development Manager and new interpretation across the site

NbyD is creating new the interpretation to refresh the visitor experience. This new interpretation tells stories of people and nature in the East Lodge and in the landscape. The content draws on FONC’ s expert knowledge of the cemetery’s past and ecology. It also builds on the activities planned for the next few years.

NbyD joined the project as interpretation consultants in February 2023 and worked closely with FONC, Southwark Council and their consultants. The resulting Interpretation Plan was a key part of the successful NLHF bid.