Pictures and Developments

When Shoghi Effendi was interred in November 1957 London's Great Northern Cemetery (since renamed New Southgate Cemetery) was larger than it is now. Over the years parts were sold off for development, and it was in response to this process that a sizeable portion around the Guardian's Resting Place was subsequently bought for the Faith so that it could be preserved and developed suitably.

The cemetery opened a new entrance and the one through which the Guardian's funeral cortege passed fell into disuse. The gates and pillars of this entrance were purchased by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United Kingdom, acting on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, and a long process to have them reinstalled in a more suitable place came to fruition in 1998.

Under the project management of David Lewis the gates and their supporting pillars were removed, cleaned and repaired, and erected at the head of the straight avenue that leads from the funeral chapel and car park to the Guardian's Resting Place. The chapel / car park area was also redeveloped in a joint project of the Bahá'ís and the cemetery authorities.

The result is both the preservation of an important piece of Bahá'í history and a positive enhancement of this very special area.