All Saints Churchyard, Fulham

All Saints Church, Fulham

Visited February 2019

There has been a church on this site since the 13th century. The oldest part of the present building is the 15th century tower; the rest of the church was rebuilt in the late 19th century after regularly being flooded - the current building is raised 3ft higher than its predecessor. Memorials from the old church have been placed in the 'new' building, although it was locked when I visited so I wasn't able to see them.

The churchyard is lovely, even on a rather chilly winter's day, which can be entered a variety of ways. The best is surely via the avenue of yew trees from the Thames side of the churchyard to the main entrance. 

This is one of the few churchyards in London (that I've found, anyway), with a number of gravestones earlier than the Victorian period. Hunt around and there are earlier stones, with their skulls and hourglasses and other such symbols. At the back of the church there are table tombs to a number of Bishops of London - the churchyard abutts Fulham Palace, the historic home of the Bishop of London, so it makes sense a number of them would be here!

Next door to the churchyard are the Sir William Powell Almshouses, rebuild in the Victorian period, which are private, but worth a glance thanks to their splendid upkeep, and the carvings on the wall nearest the road.