West Norwood Memorial Park Tomb Of Alexander Berens

In the entry for:

(off) NORWOOD ROAD SE27 1. (east side) 5023

TQ 3272 32/717 Tomb of Alexander Berens in West Norwood Memorial Park II*

the entry shall be amended to read as follows:

TQ3272 (OFF) NORWOOD ROAD 963-0/32/717 (East side) 27/03/81 West Norwood Memorial Park Tomb of Alexander Berens

GV II*

Chest tomb on tall plinth above a vault. c1858 by E.M. Barry; sculptures by Thomas Earp. Pink granite plinth, marble superstructure and Portland stone sculpture. Medieval Italian style. Rectangular stone base on which the battered pink marble plinth with a top frieze of Minton tiles carrying the letter B for Berens and a bear, in punning reference to his name; doorway on western elevation now bricked up but originally with bronze doors manufactured by Potter who also made surrounding cast iron railings, now gone. Free-standing, paired barley sugar columns surround the chest and support a foliated cornice; above each pair, a sculptured kneeling angel holding a shield. At the angles the cornice rises up to form pointed arch aedicules for figures of the 4 evangelists. Between the columns, panels carved in deep relief showing scenes from the life of Christ; eastern panel an open-work cross within a roundel. A further frieze of Minton tiles, including a Latin inscription, under the eaves cornice with antefixae. Hipped marble roof. All in a state of considerable decay. Berens was a linen draper of St. Paul's Churchyard who made a fortune in the "fancy trade; the tomb was said to have cost £1,500 and was illustrated in the Builder of November 1858.

(off) NORWOOD ROAD SE27 1. (east side) 5023 Tomb of Alexander Berens in West Norwood Memorial Park TQ 3272 32/717

II*

1. d. 1858; by E M Barry. On high, red granite plinth, a marble sarcophagus in mediaeval Italian style with high relief panels divided by paired spiral twist columns; above these, seated angels rise before a pitched lower roof to the eaves of a raised hipped roof of marble slabs; large figures of Evangelists in niches at the four corners.

Listing NGR: TQ3232072051