Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields, Shoreditch, London EC1Y 2BG
Bunhill Fields comes as a big surprise in this built-up area: a spacious rectangle of green, shaded by tall spreading trees, dotted with secluded benches and the graves of some very notable inhabitants, among them William Blake, Daniel Defoe and John Bunyon. An artillery ground in the late 15th century, its origins as a burial place date back to Saxon times, and from the late 17th century to the mid 19th, it was a cemetery for Nonconformists (non-traditional Anglicans, basically – there’s a neighbouring burial ground for Quakers). Nowadays it’s a marvellously tranquil spot, and a haven for City workers on their lunch breaks – well worth a wander if you’re passing by.