Bunhill Fields and John Wesley House

 As its Lockdown almost nothing is open. Apart from cemeteries. So I visited another, Bunhill Fields, on the outskirts of the City. Opposite its gates is John Wesley's House, the famous Methodist preacher.

And Wesley is relevant for the cemetery opposite because Bunhill Fields was particularly used as a burial ground for Nonconformists, back in the day when a truly Christian country thought nothing more important than keeping slightly different Christians from being buried nearby. You have to be able to look down on others even in death, otherwise what is the point of religion?

Now the cemetery is closed (and has been closed as a burial ground since 1854 when it was declared full) it is primarily used for leisure - a place to stroll and eat your sandwiches, and also as a nature reserve. It is home to a lot of grey squirrels (no doubt the density has a lot to do with feeding by members of the public). They are cute though.

Don't forget the fungi.

And while the information boards extol its bird feeders and birdbaths, being the City this means essentially giving succour to the rats of the sky - pigeons.

But what is so nice about Bunhill Fields is the ancient quality of its headstones. As I say, it was declared full in 1854, so it doesn't have any recent burials although some of the burials and monuments have been moved about a bit, not least because of bombing in the Blitz and subsequent intent to open up a bit of green space. The Spring flowers added to the appeal of the moss covered graves. 

I rather like the more macabre stones...

The cemetery contains three particularly famous memorials, all of which have either been restored or created since the grounds' closure. Firstly the painter William Blake. This headstone was commissioned in 1927 for the centenary of his death, and the rather odd wording reflects that Blake and his wife had separate burial plots.

Second is the monument to Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe. This obelisk was unveiled in 1870 after his original gravestone was broken having been struck by lightning. 

And finally the rather grand tomb of the poet John Bunyan, author of the Pilgrims Progress. He is a good example of how really ancient this graveyard is, given he died in 1688, although this particular tomb is a 19th century reconstruction after the deterioration of his original grave.