The Radical Heritage of Abney Park

Abney Park Cemetery has always been the resting place of the "Awkward Squad". It was founded by followers of "Old Dissent" who wanted to disestablish the Church of England. From that point on, Abney has always had ties with people who wish to shake up the norm.

And it's the final resting place of many people who suffered ostracism and imprisonment for fighting for what they believed in. In spite of all the barriers and hurdles, they continued to fight for what they saw as right.

The tour will engage with the great political movements of the nineteenth century - like anti-censorship, Chartism and franchise reform, plus the suffragette and national liberation movements.

Please meet at the Stoke Newington High Street gate five minutes before the tour is due to start.

Speaker Bio

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