Bunhill Fields Cemetery, London

Bunhill Fields is a peaceful oasis in the center of the London used by locals and tourists alike to relax and take a break from the bustling city.

It is also a site of great historical and religious significance: Bunhill Fields is unconsecrated ground that has been used for centuries as a burial place for Nonconformists, Dissenters, and other people who died outside of the Church of England.

This old burial ground, shaded by mature plane trees, is situated on the edge of the City. Bunhill Fields was first set aside as a cemetery during the Great Plague of 1665.

Bunhill Fields Cemetery, London, originally uploaded by Craig Grobler.

It was enclosed by a brick wall and gates but does not seem to have been used at that time. The ground was never apparently consecrated and twenty years later it became a popular burial ground for Nonconformists, who were banned from being buried in churchyards because of their refusal to use the Church of England prayer book.