Bunhill Fields Burial Ground on Postcard

"Just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Old Street and City Road, the green space of Bunhill Cemetery offers a sanctuary of calm. This beautiful yet small graveyard is amazingly the resting place for an estimated 120,000 bodies including William Blake and Daniel Defoe. It’s also home to some extremely tame and well fed squirrels who won’t be afraid to ask you for food." - DesignStudio

On the Grid : Bunhill Fields Cemetery

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@atlasobscura

"Set ominously atop an ancient Saxon burial ground, Bunhill Fields (derived from the rather more morbid “bone hill”) became popular in 1549 when carts of bodies arrived in their thousands from the overflowing charnel house at St. Paul’s. Even prior to earning its grim name, the site had a history of combat. It remains the home of the Honourable Artillery Company, on land granted in the 15th century, leading on from the prior usage of Bunhill Fields as a spot for archery practice. However, not all of the land’s past was quite so morbid. John Milton penned Paradise Lost near the field and soon after, in 1666, it served as a lifesaver for the many made homeless by the Great Fire of London, who gathered there in an impromptu camp. Historic ambiguity over whether the land is consecrated or not has led to it being regarded as a burial place for conscientious and dissenting personalities, including men of letters – John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe, and Dr. Isaac Watts were all interred here. As was William Blake, one of England’s most recognized poets. He was buried in a nineteen-shilling grave that has been lost to time. Make sure to look out for his latterly placed memorial headstone, which, although no longer resting above him, marks an important pilgrimage destination for lovers of language everywhere." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

Historic Cemeteries in London

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@onthegrid

"Bunhill Fields Cemetery, Barbican Old Street. Just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Old Street and City Road, the green space of Bunhill Cemetery offers a sanctuary of calm. This beautiful yet small graveyard is amazingly the resting place for an estimated 120,000 bodies including William Blake and Daniel Defoe. It’s also home to some extremely tame and well fed squirrels who won’t be afraid to ask you for food."

London

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Keith Hainge

Google

An interesting place to visit at any time of year. Shady & leafy in the Summer & atmospheric in Autumn & Winter as the leaves fall & a low sun lights up the gravestones & tombs & the bare limbs of the trees & the iron railings cast shadows. Great place for some creative photography if you are so inclined. Unless you are attending a guided tour there are large sections of the burial ground that are non accessible , being railed off. One can walk straight through via the central path from City Rd. to Bunhill Row or vice versa . There is an area of park to one side with a central lawn area & planted with shrubs & furnished with benches to sit on. One tomb that you can get to is that of John Bunyan which stands alone on an open , paved area. No burials have taken place here since 1854 . It is thought likely that there has been a burial site here for about a 1,000 years . In latter times it became a place where non conformists were interred & as well as John Bunyan other famous people buried here include Daniel Defoe , William Blake & John Milton. If you have time , pay a visit to the home & Chapel of John Wesley just opposite the City Rd. entrance. Another small point of interest right across from the Bunhill Row entrance is Braithwaite House , a modern block of flats where the Kray twins were both arrested for murders they had committed. Their mother lived here.

dave pelton

Google

This is a fascinating place to walk through when you have some time to spare. You have a real sense of history when looking at the ages of some of the gravestones. Obviously, there are some very famous people buried here along with many complete unknowns, but it is still a great cemetery to visit.

Samuel Goldberg

Google

Gorgeous Cemetery full of birds and squirrels largely fenced in around a nice walking path. Lots of unique grave designs, some famous faces, and a rather unique way of presenting itself compared to some other historical graveyards.

Bill Delperdange

Google

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. Many of the well known names of Christian history are buried here. The cemetery is located across the street from (John) Wesley's Chapel in London, England. The most prominent grave is John Bunyan but there are many others as well. John Bunyan (1628-1688) was the author of Pilgrim's Progress. Isaac Watts, John Gill, Susanna Wesley and others are worthy of our remembrance. Bunyan spent twelve years of his life in prison for refusing to obtain an official license for his preaching of the Gospel. During his incarceration he wrote his spiritual autobiography, "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners" and his most famous work, "The Pilgrim's Progress." Pilgrim's Progress has been said to be the most published book in the world apart from the Bible. It is a spiritual analogy to the Christian life. There is some controversy over whether Bunyan should be called a Baptist or a Puritan, but either way, he was a great man of God! (I personally consider him to be a Baptist though one with some doctrinal errors. He did practice believer's baptism, though he accepted into fellowship those who we baptized as infants.) (Photos: ‎August ‎31, ‎2019) Also, I have one negative about this site. The attendant that was present when we went there was very rude and unhelpful. I don't know if that was ordinarily the case, but it was when we visited.

JR Suarez

Google

Beautiful space in the City. Bunhill fields is a historical burial ground. Inside you can find the graves of John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. This burial ground was not associated with an Anglican church, becoming popular with Nonconformists or Christians who did not belong to the Church of England. The last burial in Bunhill Fields took place in January 1854

Debra Roberts

Google

Such a beautiful place to have a wander, so much wildlife in the centre of London. Some interesting graves here so a little bit of history in a green oasis surrounded by a bustling city

Amy McLean

Google

Bunhill Fields is a beautiful, peaceful place. It's so easy to forget that one is amidst the chaos of a busy city when visiting the grounds. It's also a lovely resting spot for the greats Daniel Defoe and William Blake - though I was quite surprised to see how out in the open Blake's headstone was. Such a great place, definitely worth a visit for a peaceful saunter.

Mike McConnell (Lorcav)

Google

Went to the unveiling of Blake's new gravestone. The ceremony was interesting and the surroundings pleasant. The entire area is split equally between a park are with grass and trees, a path and benches. The grass area is large enough for sitting and there are a large number of benches for those that wish to sit somewhere other than the floor. The other half of the area contains the graveyard and has a variety of stones in different sizes and states of repair. The field are free to get into and are usually a quiet spot amongst the greater bustle of the city.

Keith Hainge

Google

An interesting place to visit at any time of year. Shady & leafy in the Summer & atmospheric in Autumn & Winter as the leaves fall & a low sun lights up the gravestones & tombs & the bare limbs of the trees & the iron railings cast shadows. Great place for some creative photography if you are so inclined. Unless you are attending a guided tour there are large sections of the burial ground that are non accessible , being railed off. One can walk straight through via the central path from City Rd. to Bunhill Row or vice versa . There is an area of park to one side with a central lawn area & planted with shrubs & furnished with benches to sit on. One tomb that you can get to is that of John Bunyan which stands alone on an open , paved area. No burials have taken place here since 1854 . It is thought likely that there has been a burial site here for about a 1,000 years . In latter times it became a place where non conformists were interred & as well as John Bunyan other famous people buried here include Daniel Defoe , William Blake & John Milton. If you have time , pay a visit to the home & Chapel of John Wesley just opposite the City Rd. entrance. Another small point of interest right across from the Bunhill Row entrance is Braithwaite House , a modern block of flats where the Kray twins were both arrested for murders they had committed. Their mother lived here.

dave pelton

Google

This is a fascinating place to walk through when you have some time to spare. You have a real sense of history when looking at the ages of some of the gravestones. Obviously, there are some very famous people buried here along with many complete unknowns, but it is still a great cemetery to visit.

Samuel Goldberg

Google

Gorgeous Cemetery full of birds and squirrels largely fenced in around a nice walking path. Lots of unique grave designs, some famous faces, and a rather unique way of presenting itself compared to some other historical graveyards.

Bill Delperdange

Google

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. Many of the well known names of Christian history are buried here. The cemetery is located across the street from (John) Wesley's Chapel in London, England. The most prominent grave is John Bunyan but there are many others as well. John Bunyan (1628-1688) was the author of Pilgrim's Progress. Isaac Watts, John Gill, Susanna Wesley and others are worthy of our remembrance. Bunyan spent twelve years of his life in prison for refusing to obtain an official license for his preaching of the Gospel. During his incarceration he wrote his spiritual autobiography, "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners" and his most famous work, "The Pilgrim's Progress." Pilgrim's Progress has been said to be the most published book in the world apart from the Bible. It is a spiritual analogy to the Christian life. There is some controversy over whether Bunyan should be called a Baptist or a Puritan, but either way, he was a great man of God! (I personally consider him to be a Baptist though one with some doctrinal errors. He did practice believer's baptism, though he accepted into fellowship those who we baptized as infants.) (Photos: ‎August ‎31, ‎2019) Also, I have one negative about this site. The attendant that was present when we went there was very rude and unhelpful. I don't know if that was ordinarily the case, but it was when we visited.

JR Suarez

Google

Beautiful space in the City. Bunhill fields is a historical burial ground. Inside you can find the graves of John Bunyan, Isaac Watts, Daniel Defoe and William Blake. This burial ground was not associated with an Anglican church, becoming popular with Nonconformists or Christians who did not belong to the Church of England. The last burial in Bunhill Fields took place in January 1854

Debra Roberts

Google

Such a beautiful place to have a wander, so much wildlife in the centre of London. Some interesting graves here so a little bit of history in a green oasis surrounded by a bustling city

Amy McLean

Google

Bunhill Fields is a beautiful, peaceful place. It's so easy to forget that one is amidst the chaos of a busy city when visiting the grounds. It's also a lovely resting spot for the greats Daniel Defoe and William Blake - though I was quite surprised to see how out in the open Blake's headstone was. Such a great place, definitely worth a visit for a peaceful saunter.

Mike McConnell (Lorcav)

Google

Went to the unveiling of Blake's new gravestone. The ceremony was interesting and the surroundings pleasant. The entire area is split equally between a park are with grass and trees, a path and benches. The grass area is large enough for sitting and there are a large number of benches for those that wish to sit somewhere other than the floor. The other half of the area contains the graveyard and has a variety of stones in different sizes and states of repair. The field are free to get into and are usually a quiet spot amongst the greater bustle of the city.

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

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