Open Day 2010 -- Saturday, July 3, 11.00 to 17.00
Tours of the Cemetery and Catacomb from 11.30

To book at stall at Open Day 2010, please contact:
Glenn Benson via fokgc @ hotmail.com or 07904 495012 (mobile)

Reporting on his first visit to Kensal Green's annual Open Day, Evening Standard columnist Tim Lott wrote: "There were tours of the cemetery, a display of 20 hearses, women with coffin-shaped handbags, penny-farthing bicycles, a Black Sabbath tribute band and a stall selling honey and jam. It was like a cross between a funeral, a gig by the Cure and a village fete." Click here to read Sam Knight's feature from Talk of the Town magazine, The Independent on Sunday, 27 July 2003 (first published in The Independent on Sunday, reproduced with permission).

Principal events typically include:

Cemetery tours with a general introduction to Kensal Green
Catacomb tours of the vaults beneath the Anglican Chapel
Specialist tours including The Great and the Good, and Ne'er-Do-Wells
Friends' bookstall at the Anglican Chapel
Children's face painting and dress-up with costumes for Victorian Mutes and Mourners
Display and motorcade of classic hearses from the Classic Hearse Register
Displays and stalls from other cemetery societies, local history groups and specialists in items and services of particular interest to the Friends of historical cemeteries, including jewellery, photographs, and original and reproduction Victorian mourning dress

Tour tickets are sold on the day at the booth on the porch of the Anglican Chapel; early booking is strongly advised as tours usually sell out by early afternoon. Cemetery tours cost £4 (four pounds) per head, start at the steps of the Anglican Chapel, and last about an hour; catacomb tours cost £3 (three pounds) per head, start at the door of the Anglican Chapel, and last about thirty minutes. Tours keep to the main paths, but sensible shoes -- and protection from sun or rain as the day demands -- are advisable. Please note that cemetery tours are suitable for all ages, but children under the age of 12 are not allowed in the catacomb.

Visitors are respecfully reminded that Kensal Green is a working cemetery that still conducts funerals daily, and that the bereaved may be visiting the graves of family or friends during the Open Day: those who have come specifically for the tours and events at the Anglican Chapel are requested to dress and behave with respect and consideration for all those who may be in the cemetery on the day.

Please note that, as the catacombs were conceived as exclusive sites for private interment, photography is not permitted in the catacomb, although visitors are welcome to take still photos elsewhere. Formal permission is required to record or film for broadcast (including Webcasting) within the cemetery – please contact the General Cemetery Company directly for information.

Snacks and drinks are be available from the refreshment stall at the Anglican Chapel, with drinks also available at the Dissenters' Chapel and Crematorium. There are toilets at both chapels, beside the north-west gate and at the Crematorium.