Brookwood Cemetery

I headed out on an adventure to Brookwood Cemetery, once upon a time the largest cemetery in the world, in search of Freddie Mercury's resting place. Of course, it took me the entire journey there to find out through the magic of the internet that Freddie's grave is no longer marked, but I was determined to make the visit meaningful regardless.

I'm fascinated by mausoleums. It's ironic, the idea that the living memorialise the dead in the form of a tomb big enough to live in. The Roman poet Virgil lavished 8,000 sesterces on a funeral and mausoleum dedicated to a fly, so we're no strangers to remembering those we find ourselves close to. I often wonder why mausoleums have air vents - who's in there requiring fresh air to breathe?

This Zoroastrian area of the cemetery was where I concluded the search for Freddie's final resting place. I've been a dedicated Queen fan for as long as I can remember, so it means the earth to me to know where Freddie is and pay my respects to him. I'm convinced I found him, or at least where he was before they possibly moved him, and I'm safe in that knowledge, however false. I follow no faith, but I know my instincts when someone as influential to me as Freddie Mercury's involved.

The American military cemetery at Brookwood, however unsettlingly large, is strangely idyllic, the horizon of white stone representing the peace these souls fought and died for. My parents used to take me to WWII cemeteries throughout my childhood, so for some reason I feel at peace amongst the headstones.

The weather was beautiful, the company was gorgeous (as always), and the cemetery is kept in fantastic condition, just as it should be. I'd highly recommend taking a good few hours out of your day to walk around Brookwood if you're ever there, we didn't give ourselves enough time to explore the entire cemetery but we saw what we wanted to see, and I'm so grateful for the experience.