Abney Park Cemetery

On a recent trip to London to visit friends I also took the opportunity to visit Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington, in the London borough of Hackney. It is one of London’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries and a peaceful Saturday afternoon was spent exploring the place. It’s no secret I love cemeteries (the older the better) and wouldn’t think twice about spending an afternoon wandering around one and taking photos.

In 1840 Abney Park became a non-denominational garden cemetery and semi-public park arboretum, and today it is used by local residents who walk, jog, picnic, hang out and drink there.

Amongst the dark delights I discovered were an abandoned gothic chapel in the middle of the grounds and various catacombs amongst the overgrown and hauntingly beautiful walkways; themselves flanked by landscaped woodlands. Everything is wildly overgrown and atmospheric.

Amongst the dead interned in Abney Park are William and Catherine Booth, founders of The Salvation Army. Here are (but a few!) of the photographs I took whilst wafting around there on a strangely mild November afternoon... 















Comments

DrunkethWizerd said…
Thank you for this! I love cemetery pictures.
22 November 2011 at 19:01
Wes said…
Fabulous pics James. I'm guessing you've been to Père-Lachaise in Paris - a wonderful place to spend an afternoon. Everyone goes to see The Lizard King's grave of course but I made a pilgrimage to Georges Méliès' grave and offered a quick word of thanks for creating the Cinema of Imagination.
22 November 2011 at 19:41
bananabones said…
Hey James,

Id love to forward you an email regarding blog content. Is there an email i can reach you at?

Anna
IndustryWorks Picutres
Vancouver, BC
Canada
22 November 2011 at 22:22
James Gracey said…
My pleasure Erik!

Alas Wes, the last time I was in Paris I was about 12 on a school trip! I'd love to go back - and Pere-Lachaise will be on my list of things to do. Thanks for the link! ;)

Bananabones you can email me at the_outsider [at] live [dot] co [dot] uk - look forward to hearing from you.
22 November 2011 at 23:23
Aaron said…
Great pics, James! I would love to hang out and drink there!
23 November 2011 at 07:26
systemshocks said…
Lovely photos, James. I live quite close to the cemetery. Just up the road from the cemetery is St Ignatius church where Hitchcock went to school as a boy. Check it out next time you are over!
25 November 2011 at 10:41
James Gracey said…
Cheers Jon. I'm pretty sure my friend pointed out St Ignatius church, but she didn't mention the Hitchcock connection - otherwise I would have gone for a wee look. Also just around the corner from Abney Cemetery is a lovely pub called The Fox Reformed. Its building was formerly a school where Edgar Allan Poe studied. They had little ink wells from the original excavation and lots of movie posters like Premature Burial and Tomb of Ligeia. They also served a mighty fine house red. I was in heaven! ;)
25 November 2011 at 10:57
systemshocks said…
I haven't been to The Fox Reformed in ages, James. I didn't know about the Poe connection. Stoke Newington has quite a lot of mysticism in its history. Iain Sinclair lives nearby and he writes about it a lot.
25 November 2011 at 11:12
James Gracey said…
Last weekend was my first time in Stoke Newington - I think I may have fallen a little in love with the place. Hope to get back there soon for more nosing around!
25 November 2011 at 11:57
Christine Hadden said…
I've meant for a few days now to write and tell you how much I enjoyed these photos!
I too, love cemeteries, and though the ones here in the states are nowhere near as old, I still love a meandering stroll through any of them. It's a peaceful way to pass a few hours and I love to read the stones.

This cemetery is thoroughly atmospheric and beautiful. I doubt we have any as striking over here, though I was moved by all the history at Gettysburg when we visited it - all those soldiers lost in our Civil War, their spirits just hung in the air, you could feel it. I want to go back soon.

And James - you have a fantastic eye for photography! Any of these would be wonderful framed and hung.

Would love to see more :)
26 November 2011 at 18:15
James Gracey said…
Thanks so much Christine! Glad you liked the photos. I fell head over heels in love with the place and couldn't resist sharing the pictures on here with kindreds.

Hope you're well - I promise to stop procrastinating and write to you soon! :)
26 November 2011 at 20:01
Anonymous said…
Gosh, those are lovely.
Thanks for sharing.
6 December 2011 at 20:25
Cody said…
Absolutely breathtaking.
14 December 2011 at 15:42
Anonymous said…
Great pics :).

Movie Memorabilia
12 November 2012 at 09:19
wardenstokely said…
"Stoke" Newington? "local residents who walk, jog, picnic, hang out and drink there"? Catacombs? Founders of the Salvation Army? Suddenly, I'm not quite so sad anymore. Boy, Burrishoole. Man, that kicked my butt. Gonna have to walk through there one day, James, just to come to terms with it. K. I really have to get back to the prison now. Thanks for taking me on a "walk" through Belfast City, Burrishoole, Abney Park, and Magheralin cemeteries, James. Your posts are fantastic and visually stunning.
2 December 2013 at 04:06
James Gracey said…
I'm so glad you're enjoying these post, Stokely. Abney Park Cemetery is one of the most atmospheric, beautiful cemeteries I've ever wafted through. I yearn to return there one day.
8 December 2013 at 00:17
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beware the Autumn People...

Image
Having just finished reading Ray Bradbury’s creepy carnival-based Something Wicked This Way Comes , I was incredibly struck by his vivid, immensely atmospheric prose; particularly the following passage, which proved to be one of the most evocative of the whole novel. It appears late in the story, as Charles Halloway is talking to his young son Will about the duel nature of mankind. He is attempting to explain the existence of evil in the world, and warn his son about the kind of people who have completely succumbed to their darkest desires; so much so they’ve been utterly consumed by them. He recalls an old religious tract written by Pastor Newgate Phillips in which these individuals are referred to as 'Autumn People'...  “For these beings, fall is ever the normal season, the only weather, there be no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where do they go? The grave. Does blood stir their veins? No: the night wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What spea
Read more

Shankill Graveyard

Image
While staying with my parents recently in my home town of Lurgan, County Armagh, I naturally decided to pay a visit to a few of the local graveyards. Top of my list was Shankill Graveyard. Located just outside the town centre, and surrounded by a residential area, the site upon which Shankill cemetery stands was a place of worship in earlier centuries. Shankill Parish church was originally situated here before it was eventually moved to the town centre. The outline of a double ring fort is still noticeable. Amongst those at rest in the cemetery are the Brownlow family, who established the town in 1610 when they were given land beside Lough Neagh by the British government during the Plantation. They eventually contributed to the development of the linen industry the town became famous for throughout the seventeenth century. Their family vault is situated in the centre of the cemetery where the old church once stood. Apparently well off English families such as the Brownlow’s, sough
Read more

There’s Something About Fulci…

Image
When I began to flesh out my thoughts and hastily scribbled notes on The Black Cat , I ended up spewing forth a tangent about why I find Lucio Fulci’s film work so utterly repellent, disturbing, depressing and horrifying. Below is said tangent, and the review of The Black Cat (tangent free, sort of) can be found here . Of the countless schlocky, ultra-violent, reprehensible, disposable, exploitation-laden fare this writer has watched over the years - and the plethora of distasteful, disturbing, mind-numbingly deplorable and brain-botheringly wretched imagery I’ve witnessed as a result of watching such fare - one filmmaker and his work stands apart from the others when it comes to creating genuinely upsetting, avert-your-gaze-from-the-screen-in-disgust moments. Lucio Fulci is a director most fans of horror cinema will be familiar with. Heck, many of them will even own some of his work on DVD or something called VHS. My own experience of watching Fulci’s work is quite limited. I fi
Read more