Sir Richard Burton's Tent-Tomb
a stone arabian tent in suburbia
An astonishing stone Bedouin tent in a quiet Mortlake churchyard, the tomb of the Victorian explorer who reached forbidden Mecca.
Free to visit · Mortlake · Mortlake · SW14 7DD
Opening: Churchyard daylight hours
In an ordinary Catholic churchyard in suburban Mortlake stands one of the strangest tombs in Britain, a full-size Bedouin tent carved entirely from stone. It holds the explorer, soldier, linguist and adventurer Sir Richard Burton, who among countless exploits disguised himself to make the forbidden pilgrimage to Mecca, and his wife Isabel, who designed the tent to honour his love of the desert.
Round the back a small window and a ladder let you peer inside, where the coffins lie surrounded by the relics and camel bells Isabel placed there. It is free, deeply odd and genuinely moving, a slice of Victorian wanderlust marooned in south-west London.
Getting there: In the churchyard of St Mary Magdalen, Mortlake, a short walk from Mortlake railway station.
Best time to go: A dry day to see the carved tent clearly, and to peer through the rear window.
Insider tip: Go round to the back of the tent and climb the small fixed ladder to look through the window at the coffins and hanging camel bells inside. The churchyard is quiet, so it is usually just you and the explorer.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide