The East Greenwich Pleasaunce is a curious site – part graveyard, part park and with a children’s playground and a café. Have we forgotten the dead? Or perhaps we the living are keeping the dead company, making death part of our everyday life?
Royal Naval Hospital for Seamen
King William III founded the Royal Hospital for Seamen in Greenwich in 1694. It was a retirement home for service men in old age who had no family to support them. The Hospital closed in the 1869. From 1873-1998 the buildings were the Royal Naval College and a training establishment for middle-management officers in the RN. The building is now occupied by the University of Greenwich.
The first two burial grounds
The first graveyard for the hospital, 1707-49, was at some distance from the hospital. It was on the site at approximately 32-40 Maze Hill.
The Maze Hill site filled up and the second site of 3.5 acres opened. This included Goddard’s Ground. Today Devonport House partly covers the. As many as 20,000 former seamen and marines of the RN were buried here between 1749-1856. By 1856 this graveyard was also full.
The third burial ground
A third burial ground opened and this is today’s East Greenwich Pleasaunce. The land, formerly orchards, was bought in 1857. In 1875 the remains of 3,000 former pensioners were reburied here when the London and Greenwich railway was sited through the old graveyard.
Other burials in the pleasaunce
Commonwealth War Graves
There are 19 graves from WWI and 2 from WWII. There is no formal CWGC area – the Kipling stones are amongst other graves.
The public park
In 1937 Greenwich Borough Council bought the burial ground and re-landscaped the site as a park.
Today there is an active Friends group which has produced a very useful and helpful Tree Trail on their website. And The Bridge is a very active community hub. Pistachios in the Park offers delicious refreshments in an Eco-friendly building designed by Alexander Sedgeley Architects.