This rather ornate tombstone can be found in the graveyard of the old St Pancras Church. Beneath it lie Sir John Soanes, his wife Elizabeth and his older son John (he fell out with his younger son George, blaming him for Elizabeth's death).A brick layer's son born in 1753, he changed his name from Swan to Soanes, (is that how you sound posher?) he went on to become one of Britain's famous architects - hence the "Sir John".
The Bank of England building perhaps the most famous of his designs was, sadly, mostly demolished in the 1920's. Soane's tomb, originally designed for his wife, now one of only 2 tombs in London with a grade 1 heritage listing, was the inspiration for the design of Sir Giles Robert Scott's K2 Red Telephone Kiosk.
