The Dead House — Somerset House
Somerset House · Trafalgar Square → Strand → Somerset House → Temple · Hidden subterranean space / tombstones / royal Catholic history
Story
In the lower levels of Somerset House, a peculiar space known as The Dead House has endured. Its walls incorporate old gravestones and funerary monuments, a disconcerting sight until one recalls that, prior to the current Neoclassical building, this site was home to a royal palace with a significant Catholic community. In the seventeenth century, Henrietta Maria, the Catholic wife of Charles I, resided at the old Somerset House. She had a Catholic chapel there, designed within the courtly world of Inigo Jones, and beside it, a burial ground was established. When the old palace was demolished and the site rebuilt in the eighteenth century, some funerary monuments were preserved. Several gravestones ultimately became integrated into the subterranean spaces now known as the Dead House. The atmosphere of the place – stone, brick, dampness, and grave markers embedded in the walls – readily explains its name. However, it is crucial to note that this space is NOT part of Somerset House’s ordinary public route. It is only accessible during specific guided tours, heritage events, or special programmes.
What to look for
If you gain access, look for gravestones embedded directly into the brick and stone walls, and observe the vaulted ceilings. Without a special tour, this space is not visible.
Secret detail
The gravestones embedded in The Dead House are an echo of the Catholic burial ground that once stood beside Queen Henrietta Maria’s chapel in the palace predating the current building.
Where exactly
The pin marks the public entrance to Somerset House. The Dead House is on the lower levels and only accessible during special openings.
Orientation
Access to The Dead House depends on the specific tour or event; there is no permanent public interior access route.
Why it matters
This unusual space reveals a hidden layer of Somerset House's history, connecting the imposing Neoclassical building to its roots as a royal palace and its unexpected link to the 17th-century Catholic court community.
Access & opening
Not part of normal public circulation. Surface only when Somerset House/Open House or another official programme confirms access.
Event terms vary
We never show live status. Check opening hours before you go.
Accessibility
Subterranean historic space; accessibility depends on specific event and route.