Bunhill Burial Grounds

Bunhill Burial Grounds

Today I visited the grave of one of my favorite poets, almost.

The Bunhill Burial Grounds is in the eastern half of London. Apparently the name “Bunhill” might be from “Bone Hill” as this area is reputed to have been a burial site for over a thousand years. There are several well known people buried here including John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe and Thomas Bayes, who developed Bayes Theorem for determining the probability of a given event. According to the map I was very close to Rev. Bayes grave but his stone must be too deteriorated to be read, as are most of the graves in Bunhill.

John Bunyan’s Crypt

20180623_120352 William Blake, the great poet, artist and mystic is also buried here though the exact position of his remains are not marked. Apparently he was interred in what is now a lawn surrounded by benches, a very peaceful place to read as I can attest. There are also some apartments with balconies which overlook the cemetery. Location. Location. Location!

Bunhill burial ground was nondenominational so it was used by many nonconformists, meaning someone who wasn’t part of the Church of England. That’s why so many great thinkers and artists are buried there. Nonconformity is simply a synonym for creativity.

After my visit I had lunch at the William Blake Pub about a block away and watched the Belgium – Tunsia World Cup match under the protective gaze of a portrait of Mr. Blake.

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he lives and writes poetry.

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3 Responses to Bunhill Burial Grounds

JeanMarie says:

2018-06-23 at 20:19

An apartment next to a cemetery would be prime real estate indeed! The neighbors would be very quiet and you could have a block party on El Dia de Los Muertes.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2018-06-24 at 11:04
  
  Whenever driving past a graveyard my father was ask “Do you know why they have to put fences up around cemeteries?” I’d say no so he could reply, “Because people are dying to get in!” Big laughs.
  
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Leigha Cretsinger says:

2020-01-27 at 16:00

I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Perfectly written!

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