Cemeteries of London: Stone Angels of Abney Park Cemetery Part II

While beautiful, the placement of a few of the stone angels at Abney Park Cemetery in London feels rather ominous. Maybe it was just the type of day that it was when I visited, without a soul in sight and with the clouds rolling by above. But if you're a fan of Doctor Who, you might find the photo below reminiscent of the "Blink" episode with stone angels that aren't quite what they seem.

Below, a Celtic cross and a closeup of the details on the cross.

--Gigi

Cemeteries of London: Stone Angels of Abney Park Cemetery Part I

Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newingon, London is one of the "Magnificent 7" 19th century London cemeteries. It's a garden cemetery that was originally combined with an arboretum, and is now a park and nature reserve that offers a number of nature programs. I didn't make it to their stone carving workshop, but enjoyed the many beautifully carved stone angels in the garden.

--Gigi

Cemeteries of London: Brompton Cemetery Part II

Below are different views of a some of my favorite angel statues at Brompton Cemetery: cherubic child angels.

It was an overcast day, so the sky was close to white. I was shooting with my lensbaby camera lens, allowing me to focus on different details in each image. With these detailed carvings, I like how the soft focus can almost make it seem as if the angels are about to take flight...

--Gigi

Cemeteries of London: Brompton Cemetery

Brompton Cemetery is one of the "Magnificent Seven" Cemeteries in London. It's the most central, walking distance from Earl's Court tube stop (and also the West Brompton tube stop, but I've never found myself on that line). It has a beautiful long, narrow layout with a central path lined by trees, creating the feel of a serene park. Intricately carved stone angels sit atop many of the graves.

Beatrix Potter once lived near the cemetery, and she apparently got the ideas for her character names from the gravestones at this cemetery. One of the names on an old headstone here: Peter Rabbitt.

--Gigi

Cemeteries of London: Highgate Cemetery Part II

Moving on from last week's photographs of the angels of Highgate Cemetery, here's a second set of atmospheric Highgate Cemetery photos.

Highgate is a sprawling Victorian cemetery in north London that was opened in 1839. The population of London had exploded, and Parliament dictated that several new cemeteries be created in the 1830s and '40s. In addition to Highgate, the new cemeteries were Kensal Green, West Norwood, Abney Park, Brompton, Nunhead, and Tower Hamlets. (I'll be posting photos from Abney Park and Brompton later this month.)

Highgate Cemetery is said to have inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula, and in the 1970s rumors abounded about the "Highgate Vampire," creating a new urban legend. The entrance to the Egyptian avenue of vaults, directly below, shows how such rumors of vampires could be believed...

 

I didn't notice at the time that this photograph of me taking photographs had been taken.

--Gigi

Cemeteries of London: Highgate Cemetery Angels

In the spring of 2008, my mom was a visiting professor in London. The opportunity to visit was too good to pass up. This is a photo of us in front of her Islington flat.


One of the things I did on that trip was to visit London cemeteries. I'd previously been on a tour of Highgate Cemetery, but I hadn't gone further in my exploration of the city's historic cemeteries. In addition to their mystery, I love the peace and beauty of old cemeteries. So on this trip, in addition to returning to Highgate I went on walks through Brompton Cemetery, New Southgate Cemetery, and Abney Park Cemetery.

This month I'll be posting photos from my 2008 visits to these London cemeteries.

Below are angels from Highgate Cemetery. Next week I'll post other views of Highgate Cemetery along with some history.
 

--Gigi