A London sanctuary

Hackney in London is busy, brash, full-on and thoroughly inner city urban. You pass through here to reach a peaceful, inspiring patch of green in nearby Stoke Newington.

Abney Park Cemetery is a beautiful patchwork of resting places for Londoners passed, and has become a woodland sanctuary, criss-crossed with paths. Modern city dwellers use it as a place to walk their dogs, go for a jog and enjoy the peace and quiet.

In the middle of the cemetery is a chapel with a lofty spire, long since disused and a shell which diffuses the light and is fascinating for the photographer, along with the woodland setting and the numerous tombstones that fill the grounds.

Click on the first image to launch the full size gallery

Last month, Abney was the venue for the world premiere of the London Requiem, a new piece of classical music by composer Benjamin Till, based on memorials to Londoners. A recording of the performance and how the work was created can be found on Arts website The Space.

12 thoughts on “A London sanctuary”

Liana on November 17, 2012 at 13:42 said:

wow…I am so walking thru that place…seeing it and hearing it and even feeling the temperature of it in your pictures. You’ve done this set p e r f e c t l y

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- mikeosbornphoto on November 17, 2012 at 15:41 said:
  
  Liana, thank you so much. This is exactly the effect we want to have with our photographs. Much appreciated.
  
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ckponderings on November 17, 2012 at 13:02 said:

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful… Once again, you’ve managed to capture the atmosphere of the place excellently! Thanks for sharing, Mike! :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on November 17, 2012 at 13:10 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Richard. I’m glad for the beautiful light that day – the same is promised for tomorrow!
  
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Every Hundredth Of A Second on November 17, 2012 at 12:07 said:

I must say Nunhead is my favourite of all the magnificent 7. Lovely.

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- mikeosbornphoto on November 17, 2012 at 12:21 said:
  
  Thank you. It’s a wonderful place. I can’t say I’d considered a visit to Nunhead, but this is on the list now!
  
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  - Every Hundredth Of A Second on November 17, 2012 at 12:25 said:
    
    I’ve been to 6 out of 7. Only Brompton left.
    
    Nunhead is beautifully overgrown!
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on November 17, 2012 at 13:09 said:
      
      Nearly the full set and time for a cemetery collection?
      
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      - Every Hundredth Of A Second on November 17, 2012 at 13:10 said:
        
        That’s on my flickr pre-blogging days :)
        
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        mikeosbornphoto on November 17, 2012 at 13:11 said:
        
        Ah, okay. I’ll have to seek it out.
        
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markdanielgonzales on November 17, 2012 at 09:57 said:

Reblogged this on The White Tiger's Page.

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- mikeosbornphoto on November 17, 2012 at 10:39 said:
  
  Thanks for sharing, Mark!
  
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