Abney Park Cemetary
Origins
Neolithic: Wildwood forest with stone-age axe work-floor
Roman: Wildwood forest with wild boar and wolves; Ermine Street built alongside
Manorial Period: Pasture and woodlands owned by St. Paul’s Cathedral until 1608; then a succession of Lords of the Manor. Laid-out as a park in the early C18th by Lady Mary Abney; the beloved home of Dr Isaac Watts.
Nineteenth Century: Part of the grounds used by a Quaker school. The whole site then aid-out in 1840 by the Congregationalists as a novel arboretum and garden cemetery open to all; and a Wesleyan training college. Later managed by a general cemetery company.
Recent Times
1978- : Bought by the London borough of Hackney following Administration and closure of the cemetery company. Consultation over future use with the ‘Friends of Abney Park Cemetery’; historical guidebook published; selected monuments restored; Chapel underpinned; occasional burials permitted.
Today
1992-present : Leased to the Abney Park Trust for 21 years, subject to a right of renewal as a protected tenancy, to restore buildings and landscape and develop new community uses with an educational, skill training, artistic, family history, or nature conservation emphasis, and some continuing memorial function.
1st decade: Visitor Centre opened, entrance way refurbished, woodland grounds become Hackney’s first Local Nature Reserve; temporary classroom added, children’s garden developed.
2nd decade: Expansion of skills training and schools facilities,small stone carving facility opened, accredited training centre status achieved; studies and preparation for a major capital bid to HlF and the Council progressed to reopen the Chapel as an educational/skills centre and community facility, restore the other buildings, conserve the landscape and ecology, and establish a long-term lease and funding model.
Explore:
The main feature of this cemetary (disused though it is) is the Church/chapel at its center which is the focus of my photo report. It is very securely locked, having apparently been the venue for certain 'dark worships' in the years before and apparently featured in a horror film or two in the late '70s.
The cemetary is open to the public and when I visited, there were quite a few people strolling in the grounds or sitting around reading or talking. Its actually a very peaceful place.....and of course has this gorgeous gothis centerpiece!
Origins
Neolithic: Wildwood forest with stone-age axe work-floor
Roman: Wildwood forest with wild boar and wolves; Ermine Street built alongside
Manorial Period: Pasture and woodlands owned by St. Paul’s Cathedral until 1608; then a succession of Lords of the Manor. Laid-out as a park in the early C18th by Lady Mary Abney; the beloved home of Dr Isaac Watts.
Nineteenth Century: Part of the grounds used by a Quaker school. The whole site then aid-out in 1840 by the Congregationalists as a novel arboretum and garden cemetery open to all; and a Wesleyan training college. Later managed by a general cemetery company.
Recent Times
1978- : Bought by the London borough of Hackney following Administration and closure of the cemetery company. Consultation over future use with the ‘Friends of Abney Park Cemetery’; historical guidebook published; selected monuments restored; Chapel underpinned; occasional burials permitted.
Today
1992-present : Leased to the Abney Park Trust for 21 years, subject to a right of renewal as a protected tenancy, to restore buildings and landscape and develop new community uses with an educational, skill training, artistic, family history, or nature conservation emphasis, and some continuing memorial function.
1st decade: Visitor Centre opened, entrance way refurbished, woodland grounds become Hackney’s first Local Nature Reserve; temporary classroom added, children’s garden developed.
2nd decade: Expansion of skills training and schools facilities,small stone carving facility opened, accredited training centre status achieved; studies and preparation for a major capital bid to HlF and the Council progressed to reopen the Chapel as an educational/skills centre and community facility, restore the other buildings, conserve the landscape and ecology, and establish a long-term lease and funding model.
Explore:
The main feature of this cemetary (disused though it is) is the Church/chapel at its center which is the focus of my photo report. It is very securely locked, having apparently been the venue for certain 'dark worships' in the years before and apparently featured in a horror film or two in the late '70s.
The cemetary is open to the public and when I visited, there were quite a few people strolling in the grounds or sitting around reading or talking. Its actually a very peaceful place.....and of course has this gorgeous gothis centerpiece!
