IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Wickham Lane, LONDON, SE2 0NS

The gateway on Cemetery Road. Viewed from the inside, since the sun was too strong for a backlit view from outside.

The site now occupied by Plumstead Cemetery was formerly parkland that was laid out during the 17th century. The land was owned by Old Park Farm in 1845. Plumstead Cemetery was opened by Woolwich Burial Board in 1890. It occupies a prominent hillside and is backed to the north by Bostall Woods. For much more detail about the cemetery see http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=GRN040 These crosses are just inside the entrance from Cemetery Road and a similar design has been used for the one in the foreground on the right and the one behind to the left. The design appears elsewhere - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6480723 Birds in flight represent the 'winged soul' ascending to heaven. The use of birds to represent the soul goes back as far as ancient Egypt.

The site now occupied by Plumstead Cemetery was formerly parkland that was laid out during the 17th century. The land was owned by Old Park Farm in 1845. Plumstead Cemetery was opened by Woolwich Burial Board in 1890. It occupies a prominent hillside and is backed to the north by Bostall Woods. The chapel is in French 'flamboyant' style. For much more detail about the cemetery see http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=GRN040

The site now occupied by Plumstead Cemetery was formerly parkland that was laid out during the 17th century. The land was owned by Old Park Farm in 1845. Plumstead Cemetery was opened by Woolwich Burial Board in 1890. It occupies a prominent hillside and is backed to the north by Bostall Woods. For much more detail about the cemetery see http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=GRN040 This grave is just uphill from the main entrance in Cemetery Road and is to Damilola Taylor who was so tragically killed in Peckham on 27th November 2000. It has that photograph where he is smiling with the words "ALWAYS WITH A SMILE" and lower down the words "HIS LIFE WAS TRAGICALLY CUT SHORT". On the right are words Damilola wrote "I WILL TRAVEL FAR AND WIDE TO CHOOSE MY DESTINY AND REMOULD THE WORLD. I KNOW IT IS MY DESTINY TO DEFEND THE WORLD, WHICH I HOPE TO ACHIEVE DURING MY LIFETIME. DAMILOLA 2000". The words are very poignant. Nearer to the camera is a memorial to Damilola's mother who died nine years later.

This gateway is in Cemetery Road opposite Plumstead Cemetery and not far from the impressive gateway of the cemetery. The Green Chain Walk follows Cemetery Road between East Wickham Open Space and Bostall Woods but why this rather ornate, if run down, gateway is here when the rest of this side of Cemetery Road is nondescript, as seen in the image on Streetview, I have no idea: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.475912,0.109215,3a,75y,68.77h,94.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQSNWmShwpbMCS8DSrU1rkg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192