I have a slight bug of some kind - nothing serious. A bit of a scratchy throat and a bit of a dry cough. It's the exhaustion and dizziness that is getting to me. Yesterday morning I took the bus to the Horniman museum in nearby Forest Hill but was driven out by hoards of school children and my own feelings of dizziness and exhaustion. I did a quick grocery shop at Marks and Spencer - I still can't get over the thrill of doing my food shopping there. Yes, sad isn't that I get excited over buying Brussels sprouts at M and S.
This morning I felt a little better so treated myself to breakfast out then headed over to Nunhead cemetery. Nunhead is one of the Seven Magnificent Victorian cemeteries in London. It was opened in what was once Kent in 1840 due to the overcrowding of cemeteries in London. It was a privately run cemetery but was neglected and became derelict until it was bought by the local council for a pound.., yes a pound. During its time of neglect, it became overrun and wildlife moved in. It is pretty well the same way now and even though it is sad to see neglected graves it has its own beauty. It is now a wildlife preserve as well and is used as a park which I think is a good thing.
Was I nervous walking through a large wild cemetery on my own - not at all. There is nothing to fear from the dead (though don't ask me to walk through there at night!) and there were plenty of dog walkers (I was the only one without at least one dog in tow) about to protect me from any living harm that might come from a deserted cemetery. It was a suitable day for a stroll as it was very overcast - now it is raining so I am happy to be in.
I took some in black and white and sepia just to add a bit of atmosphere..just imagine how creepy this place must have been back in the days when it was closed and derelict... so many of these graves were vandalized then. Sadly the solution seems to be to raze down the trees however I am glad this wasn't done in this cemetery. I will be doing another post on Ladywell and Brockley cemeteries which I visited and while much smaller have more ornate memorials - that one is very open now with not as much atmosphere as Nunhead.
Nunhead cemetery is not a place most tourists go as it is difficult to get to but I am staying just a fifteen minute walk away so it was a great place to go for a walk.
This morning I felt a little better so treated myself to breakfast out then headed over to Nunhead cemetery. Nunhead is one of the Seven Magnificent Victorian cemeteries in London. It was opened in what was once Kent in 1840 due to the overcrowding of cemeteries in London. It was a privately run cemetery but was neglected and became derelict until it was bought by the local council for a pound.., yes a pound. During its time of neglect, it became overrun and wildlife moved in. It is pretty well the same way now and even though it is sad to see neglected graves it has its own beauty. It is now a wildlife preserve as well and is used as a park which I think is a good thing.
Was I nervous walking through a large wild cemetery on my own - not at all. There is nothing to fear from the dead (though don't ask me to walk through there at night!) and there were plenty of dog walkers (I was the only one without at least one dog in tow) about to protect me from any living harm that might come from a deserted cemetery. It was a suitable day for a stroll as it was very overcast - now it is raining so I am happy to be in.
I took some in black and white and sepia just to add a bit of atmosphere..just imagine how creepy this place must have been back in the days when it was closed and derelict... so many of these graves were vandalized then. Sadly the solution seems to be to raze down the trees however I am glad this wasn't done in this cemetery. I will be doing another post on Ladywell and Brockley cemeteries which I visited and while much smaller have more ornate memorials - that one is very open now with not as much atmosphere as Nunhead.
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The Anglican chapel - its interior was destroyed by arson during the derelict years. |
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I thought this was poignant. |
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You can see the London Eye through the mist - on a clear day you can see the South Downs from the other end of the cemetery. |
Nunhead cemetery is not a place most tourists go as it is difficult to get to but I am staying just a fifteen minute walk away so it was a great place to go for a walk.
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