John Bunyan’s grave
Bunhill Fields is a Nonconformist burial ground, dating from the 1660's and is the site of around 123,000 burials. I had never heard of it until the other day, when finding myself lost, I consulted Google maps and saw a marker indicating ‘Bunyan’s grave’. Immediately intrigued, I set off to find it!
My knowledge of John Bunyan is somewhat sparce. I first became aware of ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ through reading ‘Little Women’ and then later, in school. Thought of by some as one of the world's greatest authors, Bunyan was born in Elstow, a village near Bedford, where he lived until the death of his first wife, when he moved into St Cuthbert's Street, Bedford. Bunyan spent 12 years in prison after the Restoration of King Charles II for refusing to give up his preaching The Pilgrim's Progress, his most famous work, has never been out of print since its first publication and has been translated into over 200 languages.
I had no idea that Bunhill Fields Burial Ground existed. The beautiful weather meant that a great many people were enjoying this green space whilst eating their lunch or having a chat. A path runs through the site, connecting Bunhill Road on one side and City Road on the other, but the busy stream of people rushing about their business did nothing to spoil the peace of the spot. The name Bunhill is thought to derive from ‘Bone Hill’. It is thought that when, in 1549, the charnel house of St Paul’s Cathedral was demolished, the bones removed to outside the City walls where Bunhill Fields is now. Later, due to its location and not being attached to any particular place of worship, it became a non-conformist burial ground. It became a key location for London’s body-snatcher gangs as it was so close to St Bart’s hospital.
Bunyan died, after catching a fever when caught in a rain storm, on 31st August 1688 in London and was buried on 3rd September. Information boards indicate the location of his tomb, but none of the people sitting nearby seemed interested! The current tomb (seen above) dates from 1862 and was restored in 1922.
A memorial window to Bunyan was unveiled in the west aisle of the north transept of Westminster Abbey on 25th January 1912 and this window (pictured above) is in Southwark Cathedral. Bunyan is pictured in a roundel at the top with Christian, the hero of The Pilgrim's Progess, dressed in his pilgrim garb, standing at the foot of the cross, beneath him.
Bunhill Fields Burial Ground,
38 City Rd,
London
EC1Y 2BG