St Mary's Gardens, Greenwich (also known as St Mary Magdalene Churchyard, Woolwich Parish Church, Woolwich Gardens)⁹⁰⁷⁶

Brief Description

The churchyard closed for burials in 1865 and was later laid out as a public garden, the gravestones largely moved to the perimeter. Most remaining monuments were cleared in 1968, apart from the memorial dedicated to Thomas Cribb (d.1848), a famous bare knuckle boxer who lived in Greenwich.

History

St Mary's Gardens were laid out in 1894 on the former churchyard of the Woolwich parish church of St Mary Magdalene. Woolwich was a riverside fishing village in the Middle Ages, which grew to prominence when the Royal Dockyard was established nearby in 1512, and later developments such as the Royal Arsenal. The parish church was rebuilt in 1727-39 when the medieval church was in danger of falling into the Thames.

Visitor Facilities