A tiny picturesque village makes for an incredible day-trip out of London – but also plays host to the country’s largest cemetery.

Situated near Woking, commuters from the capital can reach Brookwood in a mere 35 minutes by train to see the quiet neighbourhood home to lots of woodland, suburban family homes.

But the village’s main attraction is its cemetery, a beautiful Grade I listed historic site where Princess Diana’s partner Dodi Al-Fayed was buried.

The cemetery takes up around half of the village.

It has a peaceful park and garden which are open to the public 365 days of the year, and sits at around 220 acres in size.

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The cemetery even recently announced the opening of a “Museum of Death” to attract new visitors.

“New visitor facilities including a café, walking trail, education centre and the provocatively titled, ‘Museum of Death’ are among the plans to attract new audiences and promote greater appreciation of this largely hidden public asset,” a council spokesman said.

Brookwood Military Cemetery is also the largest war memorial in the UK, containing 1,601 Commonwealth burials from World War One and 3,476 from World War Two.

It was conceived by the London Necropolis Company (LNC) in 1849 to house London’s dead due to overpopulation issues.

However, the village of Brookwood has even more peaceful retreats to offer, owing to its beautiful natural surroundings.

Nearby strolls include Brookwood Lye nature reserve, full of a huge variety of trees including alder carr, broadleaved woodland, willow and oak trees. 

Described by Surrey Wildlife Trust as a “rare, unimproved, species-rich wet grassland”, the reserve can be found east of Brookwood.

Meanwhile, butterflies and dragonflies can be spotted at Brookwood Country Park during summer as visitors wander around its attractive ponds and the nearby Basingstoke Canal.

Samberry hill park and garden and Brookwood Recreation Ground round out the variety of ways visitos can explore nature while in Brookwood.

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As for those looking for something more active, the National Clay Shooting Centre offers Olympic and English Skeet, Olympic Trap, Trap and Down the Line nestles across a whopping 3000 acres of Surrey Heathland.

Reviewers on TripAdvisor particularly praise the staff, with one describing them as “very patient, calm and encouraging.”

While Brookwood proximity to London makes it a quick and easy day trip for those coming from the capital, there are fewer options for staying directly in the small village.

Attractive and relaxing B&Bs are available, but many are either in the nearby village of Pirbight or other surrounding towns, including Woking and Guildford.

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