The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

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                                                                    Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

                                                                   The green heart of the Borough.

 

 

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (known locally as Bow Cemetery) is a closed, historic Cemetery located in London's East End. The nearest tube station is Mile End (see maps and travel).

The Cemetery opened in 1841 by an Act of Parliament and is one of London's Magnificent Seven Cemeteries. The Cemetery closed to burials in 1966. It became Tower Hamlets first Local Nature Reserve in 2001.  Near-by land was added in the mid-nineties, known as "Scrapyard Meadow" and Ackroyd Drive Green Link. Today it is 33 acres of "managed" mature, broadleaved woodland and meadow. It is also a educational resource to 7000+ school children every academic year who use the Park as an outdoor classroom.

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park was set up in 1990. We have a Constitution whose main objectives are to encourage greater use of this inner urban green space as a sanctuary for people, a place of biodiversity, while protecting and preserving the historic content.

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is owned by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH). The 'Friends' manage the Cemetery Park via a Service Level Agreement  with LBTH Parks.  We are responsible for the daily maintenance and litter duties for the Park, much of this work is carried out by volunteers through our practical conservation events.

If you'd like to help us in what we do, you can show us your support by subscribing to become a member of the 'Friends'.

 

News

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 9th September 2010, at 7pm.

followed by a talk by Michael Rowan, Director of Mile End Park.

"Bringing the Countryside to the East End- winning hearts and minds in the cause of ecology"

 

As you will know the Friends have always tried to maintain and improve the biodiversity in our urban nature reserve. This year the Friends have become UK partners in the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity 2010. We will advertise their logo with any events we run that we feel are relevant to biodiversity. LOOK OUT for our Autumn Bioblitz on the 12th September.

Come and join our scientists, naturalists and other experts, for a day of fun and discovery. Our enthusiastic team of experts will show you how to identify different species of wildlife, as we work against the clock to spot and record as many varieties of animals,

plants, and fungi as possible. Help contribute to this scientific survey of our woodlands, meadows and ponds, joining in with the

activities that interest you most.

We will round off the day with a bat walk.

UN International Year of Biodiversity

Donate to help the Friends:

You can donate directly to our account via CAF Bank (follow this Donate link) or via the Big Give.

Donate Online      

Please help us to improve...

Please take a few minutes to fill in this questionnaire. The information you provide will help us develop
our future programme of events and the structure of the Friends.

You can then email or post your completed form back to us. Our contact details can be found here.

If you've attend one of our events please share your thoughts with us.

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Maps and Travel

The Cemetery Park is located in the heart of East London with good transport links.
The main gate is situated in Southern Grove, E3, with the Soanes Centre just inside on the right.
The nearest Underground station is Mile End on the Central, District, and Hammersmith and City lines. You can also travel to Bow Road on the District and Hammersmith and City Line

DLR to Bow Church
Local bus routes are: D6, D7,D8, 25, 205, 277, 323, 339 and 425.
 

Click here to see a map of the local area.

Please note that the Soanes Centre is run by SETPOINT London East.

Opening Times

The main gates are unlocked at 8:00am and locked again at dusk/9:00pm (whichever is soonest depending on season).
The kissing gates at all other points remain open at all times.

You can keep in touch with the Friends & follow the Park by getting involved with these community websites...

 
Events
August 2010

All our events are FREE, but you may choose to give a donation. Your gift of any amount can help to recover some of our costs.


 

More events to follow throughout
the spring and summer..

WATCH THIS SPACE!
alternatively click the events link at the
top of this page.


 

August

 

Sunday 1st August 2010 @ 10am - 4pm

Practical Nature Conservation

Join BTCV in the park for a day improving the park for

wildlife and people. All tools and training provided.

 

Friday 6th August 2010 @ 11am - 1pm

Wild Food Walk

Learn all about the riches of wild food in a gentle summer walk.

 

Sunday 8th August 2010 @ 2pm - 4pm

Grave research

Learn all about the burial history of the park and some

of the Park’s better known ‘residents’ and join members

of the East London History Society in grave research.


Sunday15th August 2010 @ 2pm - 4pm

Guided Walk
Have a guided tour of the park learning all about the
physical and/or natural history.

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