This eerie Victorian cemetery is a gem amid the hustle and bustle of the city.
Not only is it a place of gothic tranquility, it's expressly a place for non-conformists. As an aging punk, this appeals to me greatly.
It's one of only two key places for the burial of non-conformists in the capital and offers a fascinating insight into the history of London's dissenting families. Which I guess, explains why the leftie loony lefter-overs of the 80's set-up shop on Saturdays to peddle Socialist Worker to passers-by..
The ornamental ironwork, along an Egyptian theme, over the Church Street entrance came from the entrance to Abney House, named after Lady Mary Abney, who retired here in the early 1700s with her daughters and their tutor and chaplain, Dr. Issac Watts -- a well-known dissenter, who lived in the area for many years and was famous as a composer of hymns and sermons.
The heiroglyphs over the lodges read, 'The Gates of the Abode of the Mortal Part of Man.' Also in Abney Park, are wonderful Celtic crosses, austere Welsh Slate memorials to members of the London Welsh community, and a vast statue to Isaac Watts. There is also War Memorial commemorating local people who fell in the two World Wars. A smaller Civilian War-Memorial was raised in memory of local people who died as a result of enemy air bombardment during World War II.
The cemetery's chapel, in a fine gothic style, was part of the original installation of Abney Park. The imposing spire retains much of its original cladding, but today the chapel is a sad shell, home to a population of pigeons and used as a setting for horror films.
The fortunate result of neglect was to allow the cemetery to develop into an 'urban forest.' OK, now in disrepair but a conservation area, at its zenith, the cemetery eclipsed the Royal Park at Kew, with 2,500 different species.
Disappointing: Emms didn't dig up any bones.
Question: Where's Jim?
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