West Norwood Cemetery, August 2019

West Norwood Cemetery

Visited August 2019

Another visit to one of my favourite of the Magnificent Seven, this time as the colours of autumn were starting to come through on an overcast late August day.

Streatham Cemetery, London

Streatham Cemetery, London

Visited June 2019

Streatham Cemetery isn't actually in Streatham, but a short walk from Tooting Broadway tube station. It's a late Victorian cemetery, with two lovely chapels which mirror each other near the entrance. A lot of clearance was done in the second half of the 20th century, especially in areas away from the entrance and chapels so there are large stretches of grass with only a few monuments left in them. However, this is left uncut in summer, except around the Commonwealth War Graves, so it's a haven for wildlife, and the cemetery is managed for wildlife (and people!) by the Friends of Streatham Cemetery.

There are very few large, impressive monuments here - most are quite small-scale gravestones rather than imposing mausoleums and suchlike. There's also quite a few traces of vandalism, including headless angels and toppled stones. Despite this, it's well worth a visit - quiet, full of wildlife, and with lots of accessible paths to make wandering round a joy. All this and clean toilets too!

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, London

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, London

Visited April 2019

I've visited this cemetery a number of times before. As it's managed as a nature reserve, it's got a wonderfully overgrown feel to it in places, but with well-looked after paths. It's clearly being actively cared for - new paths, hedges, and wooden seating made that clear, and there are also trails which can be followed. 

On a spring day I was there mainly for the wildflowers (the bluebells were just coming out - yay!), but I'd also recommend printing out a copy of the heritage trail leaflet (https://www.fothcp.org/heritage-trail-2) - there aren't always some available - and following it around for a good overview of the site.

Bath Abbey Cemetery, Bath

Bath Abbey Cemetery, Bath

Visited February 2018

A mile or more away from the Abbey itself and a bit of a walk away from the city centre and railway station, is Bath Abbey Cemetery. On a sunny day it probably has stunning views over the city, perched as it is on a hillside, but as you can see it was a grey, misty and damp late winter day when I visited. Whether due to the weather, or the location, I had the entire place to myself for the hour I was there.

The cemetery was opened in 1844 due to there being no more room for burials at Bath Abbey itself, and it was closed in 1995. The chapel also dates from 1844 - it seems a peculiar shape, with more tower than body, as it was meant to have cloisters at both sides but these were never built.

There are some interesting graves scattered around the cemetery - the Bath Archives website has a fascinating page about the cemetery including the names and grave locations of the great and the good buried there. There's also a Crimean War memorial, to those of Bath who died in the war. 

Areas of the cemetery are quite overgrown, and the lack of visitors makes this a wonderful place to visit even on a dismal day. Should you be in or near Bath, this is well worth a visit - it's an easy walk or bus ride from the Abbey, but easily done in a morning (I fitted in the cemetery, Abbey, Roman Baths, 2 churches and a long lunch, all in a day trip!) 

St Oswald's Church, Paddlesworth, Kent

St Oswald's Church, Paddlesworth, Kent

Visited April 2018

"The Highest Ground
The Lowest Steeple
The Poorest Parish
The Fewest People"

St Oswald's Church in the tiny village of Paddlesworth, near Folkestone in Kent, dates from the 12th century. It's accessed via a path between fields from the Cat and Custard Pot pub (where you can get the key, if the church is locked). It's well worth a visit, as is the pub, if you're in the area.

The church itself is very small, with two parts. The 12th century south doorway (on the opposite side of the building from the door you enter through) is ornate, and stands out from the rest of the exterior. 

There's a small graveyard surrounding it, mainly of 19th century graves although there are records of burials going back to the 15th century in the churchyard. Only a few gravestones remain, as it has clearly been cleared at some point; raised areas of the churchyard give clues to the long history of burials on the site.