Walking through any cemetery in Britain you are likely to come across a selection of Commonwealth War Graves, commemorating the men and women who died serving in the Commonwealth forces during the First and Second World Wars. Abney Park Trust maintains 154 Commonwealth War Graves under the direction of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

But this form of memorialisation was not always the trend: after the Battle of Waterloo, the dead were laid in mass graves on the battlefield. The First World War created a whole new way of dealing with the war dead and led to the creation of the War Graves Commission.

This tour will guide you through the history of how we have remembered the war dead. This will include walking around notable war graves, talking about Abney's war memorials, and discovering how those who died in battles before the First World War are still commemorated in Abney Park Cemetery.

From the High St entrance, please meet at the far end of the pedestrian walkway - where the path splits into three

Speaker bio:

Alan Gartrell has given tours of Abney Park for many years now. His topics cover a huge range from the history of Hackney's MPs to Abney Park's missionary links. He very modestly says he is not a historian, just a few clicks ahead of everyone else on Wikipedia.

Sometimes, Abney Park closes (or we have to cancel planned events) at short notice due to adverse weather conditions. If events are cancelled or the Park is closed, we'll let you know. Please check your emails and the Abney Park website (abneypark.org) mid-morning on the day of the event to get this info