How Archway Park could become an ecology centre

05 November 2009

I was astounded at the ignorance displayed with the event at Hampstead parish churchyard last week (Legendary artists in line for gravestone revamp, H&H October 15).

The Heritage Lottery-funded project was not given "to erect gravestones in memory of artists such as John Constable" as stated in the picture caption: Constable's tomb was erected 170 years ago.

As for considering that the churchyards in Church Row are a neglected source of local history, and claiming that volunteers are beginning to research into the lives of the graves' occupants, everyone from Cllr Flick Rea downwards seems to be blissfully unaware that this research has already been done, over the past 30 years, by members of the Camden History Society.

The team of local historians led by Christopher Wade first published the book Buried in Hampstead in 1986, with full descriptions of all the tombs and monuments in the church and both graveyards together with biographies of those memorialised, after some 15 years of research.

A second edition, published in 2007, added further information and noted how many more of the monuments had been listed as of architectural or historical interest by English Heritage since publication of the first edition (20 versus four in 1986).

I applaud the intention to produce audio trails through the churchyards, but these should build on what has been done already, not strive mightily to re-invent the wheel in amateurish fashion.

Buried in Hampstead (2007) is on sale at St John's, at Burgh House and at the Local Studies Centre in Theobalds Road.

Dr Peter Woodford

Editor, Camden History Society