Cross Bones graveyard gate, looking NE
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Cross Bones graveyard gate, looking NE by Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Cross Bones graveyard gate, looking NE
Image: © Natasha Ceridwen de Chroustchoff Taken: 25 Aug 2011
Cross Bones is a disused post-medieval paupers' burial ground closed in 1853 due to overcrowding. 20th excavation has revealed a mass of human remains piled on top of one another and with many showing signs of disease. There were a large number infant remains (both pre- and immediately post-, natal) while the adults were mostly women. It is believed that that many of the people buried here were impoverished local prostitutes (barred from consecrated ground) and in recent years the site has become a place of pilgrimage with messages and tokens left in memory of these unfortunate women and as tributes to sex workers in general. The (closed) gates are festooned with a variety of items, many extremely personal. Events and ceremonies regularly take place in connection with the site's historical and religious significance. For further information see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Bones and http://www.iusw.org/campaigns/cross-bones-graveyard/
Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Image Location
Latitude
51.503879
Longitude
-0.093488