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Article: Catacombs prove a lively attraction
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- September 18, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1995 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Hundreds of people queued in the rain at the weekend for a
glimpse of one of London's rarest sights - 1,200 rotting lead-lined
coffins from the Victorian era.
They joined torchlight tours of the Brompton catacombs, in west
London, which was open for the first time since 1911 as part of
Open House Day, organised by the Civic Trust with funding from the
Department of National Heritage. About 1,500 buildings across the
country were open free to the public as part of the attraction.
Cemetery staff, who had been besieged with callers requesting
the chance to visit the catacombs, led hourly tours around the
coffins. Extra four minute tours were added later in the day as
crowds gathered outside the ...