Brace yourself for an unforgettable after dark ramble among the graves of Abney Park. With nought but torchlight to lead the way, historian Alan Gartrell will take a small group of intrepid walkers on a ghost storytelling journey that follows authors with a personal connection to Stoke Newington and its garden of eternal rest.

First, listen to a spine-tingling tale by Charles Dickens as you stand by the graveside of his beloved friend William Hone, whose funeral Dickens attended in 1842.

Next follow in the footsteps of Edgar Allen Poe, who went to school in neighbouring Church Street, as the words of his haunting doppelgänger tale reverberate among the tombstones.

Then tiptoe through the tombs to the Church Street gates where Gartrell will tell the first modern ghost story, written by Daniel Defoe, within sight of the author’s house.

Finally, find a seat among the gravestones to hear horror writer Arthur Machen’s 1934 short story “N” in which a secret garden - perhaps a portal to another realm - is located in a mystic Stoke Newington.

A warning to the unwary: severed heads and ravens may be involved.

Alan Gartrell has had a long interest in the history and monuments of cemeteries. Abney Park is of particular interest as Alan is a Stoke Newington resident and has family graves in the cemetery. He has given talks on the interweaving of politics, religion and society in that context for some eight years and is interested in the operation of chance and coincidence in developing narratives.

Please enter at the Church Street entrance and follow the path on the left side. The meeting point is at the William Booth Memorial, opposite the entry path.

Please note:
We may need to cancel at short notice if the weather is inclement - please check your emails on the morning of the walk that you have booked.

Please wear sturdy shoes.

There are no toilet facilities available.