East Finchley Cemetery

East Finchley Cemetery, London

Visited January 2017

East Finchley cemetery was originally known as St Marylebone Cemetery, changing its name in the 1990s when it was acquired by the City of Westminster. It was designed and opened in the 1850s, with the first burials taking place in 1855. Burials still take place today, and there's also a crematorium on the site.

There are a number of fantastic old memorials here, most of which feature sculpture of some sort such as angles, and there's even a tomb modelled on Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb. There are, however, very few of the large mausoleums seen in the larger cemeteries of the 19th century; the only one I saw was surrounded by fencing as it's unstable. 

The cemetery is large, and well maintained - don't come here looking for wilderness, but on a damp Saturday afternoon in January it was pretty much deserted and well worth a visit.

St Mary's Churchyard, Battle, East Sussex

St Mary's Churchyard, Battle, East Sussex

Visited October 2016

St Mary's is a Norman church, founded c.1115 in the town of Battle (site of the Battle of Hastings in 1066). The church is close to the entrance to Battle Abbey, the main tourist attraction of the town, but the churchyard was deserted when I visited.

In the churchyard (closed to burials in the mid-19th century) there are mainly 18th and 19th century graves to be seen these days, some sheltering under a large yew tree. It's also worth visiting the church if it is open when you are there, as it's very historic, containing crosses carved of crusader's swords, and Medieval wall paintings.

St Peter-in-Thanet, Broadstairs, Kent

Churchyard of St Peter-in-Thanet, Broadstairs, Kent

Visited September 2017

The churchyard of St Peter-in-Thanet is near tot he railway station in the seaside town of Broadstairs, Kent. From the front it looks small and unassuming, but follow the path and it soon opens up into a large burial ground, which is apparently one of the longest in the county of Kent! 

The graves are mainly from the 19th century onwards, although one area holds a number of older gravestones bearing skulls and other symbols of memento mori. The earliest known gravestone there dates from 1623.

In spring and summer the well cared for churchyard is a haven for wildlife, and full of wildflowers. In the autumn it's still a green and peaceful place, where it would be all too easy to spend hours wandering. The historic church itself is also worth a visit, if it's open while you're there.

St Mary's Cemetery, Wandsworth

St Mary's Cemetery, Wandsworth, London

Visited June 2017

Despite it's name, this cemetery is only a few minutes walk away from the hustle and bustle of Northcote Road and Clapham Junction station. It's also known as Battersea Rise Cemetery, and Battersea St Mary's

The cemetery was opened in 1860, and the gothic style cemetery chapel is still intact. Most of the cemetery is landscaped, although there are some wilder areas and in one part the grass appeared to have been kept deliberately long to help wildlife.

It's a haven of tranquility. There was barely another visitor there on the sunny afternoon when I visited, despite the cemetery being almost surrounded by houses. Those that were there were mostly walking dogs, and took no notice of me and my camera.

Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery 2017

Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery, London

Visited October 2017

This cemetery used to be two cemeteries, as already discussed in this post. 

It might not be the largest or most magnificent of Victorian cemeteries, but on a sunny autumn day, with very few people around (except a few dog-walkers), this was a glorious place to walk around. All the reds and oranges of the leaves and berries seemed to be out in force: perhaps not surprisingly, the cemetery is a Borough Importance Grade 1 site for nature conservation.