Abney Park Cemetery is a burial ground, arboretum and nature reserve offering a haven for wildlife just yards from the noise and bustle of Stoke Newington High Street. It is one of London’s “Magnificent Seven” Victorian garden cemeteries. The site occupies 13 hectares (32 acres). It is owned by the London Borough of Hackney and managed by the Abney Park Cemetery Trust as a nature reserve and an environmental education service. Address: Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington High Street, London N16 0LN (Map; OS grid reference TQ333867)

History Edit

Abney Park Cemetery opened in 1840 as a model garden cemetery with 2,500 tress and shrubs already planted. The cemetery was initially run as a trust but in 1882 it passed to a strictly commercial general cemetery company, which applied standardised park-like landscaping principles, replacing much of the original arboretum planting. The cemetery decayed rapidly after the Second World War and in the 1970s the commercial cemetery company went into liquidation. The site was purchased in 1979 by the London Borough of Hackney as a non-operational burial ground and open space. In the 1990s, the cemetery was designated as the borough’s first statutory local nature reserve.

Habitat Edit

The cemetery is noted for its mature woodland, rich in wildlife, combined with grassy paths and glades. Many of the trees and shrubs are descended from the first phase of cemetery landscaping and management (1838-82). Some original trees can still be found. Heritage trees include the Service Tree of Fontainebleau (Sorbus latifolia) and the Various-leaved Hawthorn (Crataegus heterophylla). Abney Park is believed to be the first site where these two trees became naturalised in the UK, and both have naturalised extensively, making Abney Park nationally important as the main place in the UK where they can be found. Other heritage trees from original arboretum include Bhutan Pine (Pinus wallichiana), Indian Bean Tree (Catalpa bignonoides), Turner's Oak (Quercus robur x Quercus ilex) and Lucombe Oak (Quercus cerris x Quercus x ilex, syn. Quercus x hispanica 'Lucombeana'), all of which are rare in London’s parks.

The cemetery also includes an area of dry heath community where the soil changes to sandy brick-earth around the Church Street entrance and along Dr Watts' Walk to the Abney Park Chapel. The plants here, which include Silver Birch and Bracken Fern, are probably the sole surviving remnant of Hackney's sandy brick-earth heath flora.

More detailed information about the cemetery’s flora can be found on the nature page of the cemetery website.

Species Edit

Birds (contributed by The Reservoirs Nature Society (TeRNS), Stoke Newington's wildlife group)

Abney Park is the biggest woodland in north Hackney, and one of the largest in central London, hosting a range of breeding, wintering and passage species. Sparrowhawk and Tawny Owl both breed annually, along with Stock Doves, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Blackcaps and all the common woodland / garden species. Green Woodpecker, Ring-necked Parakeet, and Chiffchaff are also semi-resident / resident in small numbers. In autumn, winter and early spring the cemetery attracts visiting thrushes and finches: of the latter, Brambling, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll are occasional visitors. In passage periods migrants include Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler. Scarcer migrants include Common Redstart, both Whitethroats and Pied Flycatcher. Common Buzzards are annual overhead. Other flyovers can include Red Kite. Abney also attracts Firecrests: the best times to look for them are April and October, although two birds were present during the winter of 2000 and another pair in 2008/9. Woodcock, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Spotted Flycatcher, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, and Bullfinch have also been recorded (but have become scarce here in recent years), Canada Goose and Mallard have both bred.

Mammals, reptiles and amphibians

Abney Park Cemetery is home to Brown Rat, Grey Squirrel, Fox, Wood Mouse, House Mouse, bats and the odd feral dog and cat.

Invertebrates

Butterflies found in the cemetery include inner London’s largest population of Speckled Wood. The site is also an important inner city habitat for Purple Hairstreak and Large Skipper. Other species include Brimstone, Comma, Common Blue, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Holly Blue, Orange Tip, Peacock, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and White-letter Hairstreak. Moths include Angle Shades, August Thorn, Codling, Dun-bar, Early Thorn, Footman, Garden Carpet, Heart and Dart, Magpie, Oak Beauty, Red Underwing, Snout, Swallowtail, White Ermine and Willow Beauty.

Abney Park is home to a variety of animal species and the nature page of the cemetery website gives further information about birds, mammals, butterflies and moths.

Practicalities Edit

Directions

The site is adjacent to the A10 trunk road through Stoke Newington. There is a (paying) car park close to the cemetery’s Stoke Newington High Street entrance.

The cemetery is 200 yards from Stoke Newington railway station, on the line linking Liverpool Street to Cheshunt and Enfield. Trains generally run about every 15 minutes.

The nearest London Underground station is Manor House (Piccadilly line), about 2km away, from which it is probably best to walk (25-30 minues) because there is no direct bus service. Bus routes passing close to the cemetery include 73 (the recommended route from the West End), 67, 76, 106, 149, 243, 276, 349, 393 and 476.

The site can be reached on foot by following the Highgate to Hackney Wick section of the Capital Ring walking route, which passes through the cemetery.

Access

The cemetery is open from 8am to 7pm in summer and 8am to 4pm in winter. Most of the footpaths are suitable for wheelchairs.

Facilities

The cemetery has a visitor centre, normally open weekdays from 9.30am to 5pm as well as some weekends. Facilities for the disabled can be found at the main entrance. Cycle parking is available at the Stoke Newington Church Street entrance.

External links and resources Edit

Abney Park Trust

Please contact The Reservoirs Nature Society (TeRNS) , Stoke Newington's wildlife group, for records and information.

This information has been cobbled together from various internet sources by someone who has never visited the site but thinks that it deserves a page on the London Bird Club Wiki.