St Mary Magdalene Churchyard, East Ham

Image: © Marathon Taken: 10 Mar 2015

St Mary Magdalene has possibly London's largest churchyard. St Mary Magdalene is one of the very few scarcely altered Norman churches to be found in the London area. The body of the church dates from about 1130, although Roman bricks are used in the construction alongside Norman pudding stone. The upper part of the tower dates from the 16th Century. The churchyard is managed as a nature reserve by Newham Council and includes a visitor centre, built in 1981 and which was formally opened by the Queen in 1983. The visitor centre includes a classroom and a small museum display. The churchyard is known as East Ham Nature Reserve and was used as a model for the National Churchyard Conservation Campaign, which was launched here in 1991. The oldest part of the churchyard, around the church, is kept neat and tidy but much of the rest towards the south and east has been allowed to turn into woodland. This is along the eastern side of the churchyard in the woodland part. The houses to the right are in Hameway.

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