Wednesday, July 25, 2012

A Quiet Spot

Olympic fever is in full swing, there is no way you can be in London and not be aware of the games, even if its only because your daily journey is disrupted. Summer arrived over night and temperatures have doubled. A moment in a quiet shady spot is the perfect way to keep your sense of humour.
Bunhill Fields Cemetery in Islington, not far from the City of London is a wonderful place to sit with your newspaper or book.
Originally the land was part of the manor of Finsbury forming the moor between the City of London and the village of Hoxton. In the 15th Century is was used by the military for archery practice. Although a few bones had been buried in the fields during this period, it was during the plague of the following century that it became a major burial ground as the church cemeteries ran out of space. The grounds were never consecrated and so became popular with the non-conformists ie dissenters of the Church of England. The last burial here was in 1854 and became a public park in 1869.