St John-at-Hampstead Churchyard

St John-at-Hampstead Churchyard, Hampstead, North London

Visited June 2016

Hampstead always feels more like an English country village than a part of the sprawling London suburbs, and this churchyard (and its extension) do nothing to change that.

Go along Church Lane, and the church and old churchyard is on the left hand side of the road, with the extension (opened in 1812) across the road. Parts near the entrance to the churchyard are well manicured, the rest is a bit more overgrown and nature abounds – squirrels in particular – as the two sites are Sites of Nature Conservancy Interest. Most of the graves are from the 19^th century, up to the 20^th century in the newer part, although there are some older ones dotted around.

There are some well-known burials in the churchyard, in particular the tomb of the artist John Constable. Also, look out for the grave of a local Pearly King and Queen in the extension. I could write lots more about the site and the burials, but this lovely article in the local paper, the Ham & High, tells it better than I could: http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/heritage/hampstead_parish_churchyard_tells_stories_of_those_who_matter_1_833317