Landmark restoration of Abney Park complete
A landmark project to restore and improve one of London’s ‘magnificent seven’ cemeteries has been completed.
Marked by a celebratory opening event last weekend, Abney Park's £5m restoration has seen its chapel renovated and brought back into use, and a new cafe built and opened at the park’s main entrance, alongside a community room and workshops.
Abney Park is one of the most important sites for nature conservation in Hackney. Originally laid out as an arboretum it has a rich ecological and cultural history with a wealth of trees surrounding its non-denominational chapel and burial grounds.
The park is also now more accessible, after the project created new step free access and improved pathways, ensuring that people with mobility impairments can access the park.
The newly restored chapel is now hosting weddings and events, with the first taking place earlier in the year, which will help to create an income that can be reinvested into maintaining this important asset
Restoration of the much loved Grade II listed chapel has included the addition of brand new stained glass windows designed by artist Piotr Frac with local school children. It also features new seating at mezzanine level, bespoke lighting, and accessible toilets.
Abney Park Cafe, which is run by Sabel Food and housed in a new purpose-built facility at the park’s main entrance, opened its doors to the public earlier this month.
The cafe features a green roof, and a new species-rich lawn and grassland meadow areas have been introduced as part of the work.
Advice from tree expert and ecologist Russell Miller has informed the restoration project to ensure this site of importance for nature conservation remains a much loved haven for trees, plants, and wildlife.
The £5m restoration project has been made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The National Lottery Community Fund and Hackney Council, and support from volunteer-led charity Abney Park Trust.
Abney Park, which covers 12.5 hectares between Stoke Newington Church Street and Stoke Newington High Street, is one of Hackney’s 58 green spaces. Listed as a Grade II park on Historic England’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest, it is one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries in London.
For more information about the restoration project, visit: https://hackney.gov.uk/abney-park
Abney Park Trust is a volunteer-led registered charity. It works with Hackney Council to promote the history and ecology of Abney Park and keep its stories and memories alive. It holds the historic records and offers a grave search service for family, friends and researchers. It runs a vibrant programme of community facing events. More details and how to donate are available on its website: https://abneypark.org/
It was such a joy to join Abney Park Trust at this special reopening event, where together we celebrated fulfilling our long held ambition to restore Abney Park chapel and provide new amenities.
With the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, local experts and volunteers, we have taken care to undertake a restoration that recognises the importance of the history and ecology of this Magnificent Seven cemetery.
We have also made the park more accessible, and in the midst of it all, retained a vital haven for nature that is key to our commitment to creating a greener, healthier borough.
Caroline Woodley, Mayor of Hackney
The community open day was a celebration of a fantastic partnership between the Council and Abney Park Trust, a volunteer-led charity. After years of campaigning to see the site restored and open to all, this is brilliant. It gives us a permanent base to teach people about Abney’s unique history and ecology.
Tom Walker, Chair, Abney Park Trust