London Sights

Abney Park Cemetery

#33 of 1432 things to do in London

#424 of 49054 things to do in Europe

1 reviews | Write a review

  • Address
    • Stoke Newington Church St N16
  • Transport
    • Stoke Newington,
    • 73, 106, 149, 243, 276, 476
  • Website
  • Phone
    • 7275 7557
  • Hours
    • 8am-dusk

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Lonely Planet review for Abney Park Cemetery

Unfairly dubbed ‘the poor man’s Highgate’ by some, this magical place was bought and developed by a private firm from 1840 to provide burial grounds for central London’s overflow. It was a dissenters (ie non–Church of England) cemetery and many of the most influential London Presbyterians, Quakers and Baptists are buried here, including the Salvation Army founder, William Booth, whose grand tombstone greets you as you enter from Church St. Since the 1950s the cemetery has been left to fend for itself and, these days, is as much a bird and plant sanctuary, a gay cruising ground and a hang-out for some of Hackney’s least salubrious drug users, as a delightfully overgrown ruin. The derelict chapel at its centre could be right out of a horror film, and the atmosphere of the whole place is nothing short of magical.

 

Traveller reviews for Abney Park Cemetery (1)

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    Eerie spooky fantastic!

    evanb8 recommends this,

    I lived in Bouverie Rd next to the cemetery for a year and we took long walks through the cemetery with my son in the pram. Wonderful escape from the busy high streets nearby - you'd never believe you're in the big city!

    The old abandoned church in the centre gave me the heebie-jeebies. Goose bumps just entering the clearing around it.

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