At CrossBones Graveyard, the unconsecrated mass burial ground for sex workers, the poor, and those who took their own lives is now marked by a beautiful garden and lovingly tended to by caretakers who see it as a sacred space. There are also clergy who do regular services of remembrance, regret, and reconciliation to apologize for the wrongs of the church and to honor the dead. There are no headstones here but there are flowers and bees and healing herbs and pilgrims who come from all over to pay their respects to the outcast dead of London.
I’m amazed at how many people this post has touched. This is my most reblogged entry. I hope more people will visit and donate to CrossBones, especially since the land is being leased. At some point it could be paved over if it’s not kept protected.
This is an unexpected and quiet place right in the heart of London. Make time to visit, especially the fence in the background of the final photo? It’s covered with ribbons and mementos for the interred.
