Stoke Newington is an appealing, vibrant multiracial district in north London that remains largely off the tourist trail. It’s definitely up and coming, but not short on history, and among its famous past residents is novelist Daniel Defoe. Today, you are likely to see tomorrow’s major celebrities wandering among the alternative medicine and health food shops.
Retaining the feel of an old village high street, Church Street is a popular meeting place, where traditional pubs rub shoulders with trendy bars and restaurants. The street gets its name from two churches - a modest Tudor one, the other High Gothic-Victorian. The church of St. Mary is set in a picturesque churchyard with 18th century tombstones, surrounded by a collection of interesting and varied historic buildings.
Nearby Abney Park Cemetery is a tranquil Victorian Gothic graveyard, noted for its mature woodland, rich in wildlife. The cemetery took over from Bunhill Fields as a burial ground for dissenters and Nonconformists - General Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, is buried here.
Other open spaces close at hand include Cissold Park and Victoria Park, both popular with sports enthusiasts.
Must see and do
- Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London
- Azizy Mosque, Stoke Newington, London
- Clissold Park