cemetery
William Hosking, 1840
Abney Park, Stoke Newington High Street, N16 0LH
Join our open tours to explore the newly restored Chapel at Abney Park and hear about the restoration process from Kaner Olette architects and stained glass artist, Piotr Frac. Kaner Olette will give talks about the sustainable build of our new community rooms, cafe and artist workshops, with Russell Miller sharing how the project achieved a net gain in biodiversity though planting a green roof.
Stoke Newington
106, 149, 67, 73, 76, 243, 393, 476
The Chapel has level access except for mezzanine - accessible via a steep, narrow, spiral staircase. Accessible parking bookable in advance.
Seating is available in the Chapel and community room. Benches available on route between these venues every 100m.
Abney Park is one of the 'Magnificent Seven' garden cemeteries created in 1840 to meet the demand for unconsecrated burial space in Victorian Britain. The chapel at the heart of Abney Park nature reserve was Europe's first non-denominational funeral chapel, designed by William Hosking to reflect a lack of bias to any one Christian sect. Abney Park residents include many radicals and dissenters - abolitionists, suffragettes, Quakers, Chartists and free thinkers - for this reason. The Chapel is the only surviving building designed by Hosking and has recently been restored by Kaner Olette and reopened as a venue for weddings, memorials, music and community events. The architect and stained glass artist will be available to talk about their role in the restoration.
A talk hosted by Kaner Olette in the community room will enable visitors to discover more about the new facilities onsite. Join us to learn from the architects about the sustainable build, marrying contemporary spaces to the original entrance lodge and creating spaces for community engagement through creative practice. Hackney's Ecology advisor will talk about the process of creating a green roof to enhance biodiversity.
Our two artists studios will be open for visitors to drop in for hands on experience of contemporary sustainable craft. Wax Atelier explores the intersection between traditional craft and contemporary techniques in beeswax and natural materials. CQ Studios are a research and design lab developing regenerative textiles that don’t compromise on aesthetics in the pursuit of sustainability.
Our two artists studios will be open for visitors to drop in and engage with contemporary sustainable craft techniques. Join Wax Atelier to work with beeswax and natural materials, and CQ Studios to see how they transform food waste into textiles. We will also be hosting a family arts activity, inviting younger visitors to learn about the stained glass window designs in the Chapel, representing the four seasons, and inviting them to create their own design through the medium of collage and projection in our community room.
