This large cemetery, located within an extensive tract of dense housing, was originally planted as an educational arboretum combined with the first nondenominational garden cemetery in Europe. It was subsequently managed as a commercial cemetery, but fell into neglect after World War II, and by the early 1970s almost no work was being done to maintain the grounds. During this time woodland and vegetation grew back over the previously managed areas. When the cemetery company closed in 1979, Abney Park was taken over by Hackney Council.It is now a Local Nature Reserve and is managed both as a reserve and a local leisure resource by the Abney Park Trust, which works to rehabilitate the cemetery and to educate about the biodiversity found in the Park.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Abney Park Cemetery
Borough: Hackney
Grade: Metropolitan
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 12.53 ha
Description
Wildlife
The cemetery is of particular interest for its combination of woodland with grassy paths and glades. In addition to the rare trees surviving from the early Victorian era, the park contains some even older trees from the 1700s. These include extensive re-growth of English elm and wych elm from old roots, and some other less common cultivated elms such as Chichester elm. The plant life is diverse and includes wood spurge, a rare plant in north London, normally associated with ancient woodland. Grassy clearings support the locally uncommon plants meadow crane's-bill and deadly nightshade. Other wild plants include lesser celandine, wood false-brome and wood avens, in addition to a number of previously cultivated plants which now grow wild, such as snowdrops, crocuses and foxgloves.A diverse breeding bird population includes sparrowhawk and tawny owl. There are also a number of migrating birds that pass through the site. The insect life also includes several species more usually associated with ancient woodland. Butterflies include the speckled wood, purple hairstreak and large skipper.Facilities
Information at the Environment Centre. Abney Park Trust offers a range of opportunities for children, incl. tours, interactive story-telling and music, as well as a Wildlife Watch Club. They also run walks in the reserve, e.g. Dawn Chorus and Bat walks.
Roosting tawny owls © Nigel Reeve
Couple enjoying a tree-lined walk in Abney Park Cemetery © James Farrell
Feedback
Have a question or a comment for this site, or notice anything missing or out of date? Please contact us.