St John's Churchyard Gardens, Hackney (also known as Hackney Parish Church, St John's Gardens, St John-at-Hackney)⁷⁴¹⁹

Brief Description

The burial ground was declared full in 1859, and in 1893/4 was converted into a public garden; graves were grassed over, headstones moved to the perimeter and chest tombs into railed enclosures. It was re-opened as St John’s Gardens in 1894. In 1963, a walled garden was laid out. Neglected by the late-20th century, in 2006/7 the gardens were extensively refurbished.

History

St John-at-Hackney Churchyard Gardens was the burial ground of Hackney's first parish church of St Augustine. The medieval church was demolished in 1790 although the 13th-century tower remains. Its burial ground was walled in 1707 and expanded twice in the 18th century, in 1763 and 1790. The latter expansion enabled the erection of the new church of St John when a much larger church was needed for the growing population.

Visitor Facilities