A reopening party is being held today to celebrate the completion of the Abney Park restoration project.
The £5 million project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hackney Council, has brought a new community room, café and artists studios and, on Saturday July 27th, the community is invited to come and explore the new spaces.
The newly renovated Abney Park Chapel will also be open and showing the ‘Women of Abney’ film about some of the key figures in the cemetery’s history. Work to improve the chapel, has repaired the damaged stonework, installed new flooring and included the creation of stunning stained-glass windows in collaboration with local schoolchildren. The venue is already being used for weddings.
The event takes place from 11am till 3pm and will include stalls, nature crafts, outdoor play and the chance to visit the new studios and meet the artists and makers in residence (candle-makers Wax Atelier, CQ Studios, who make textiles out of waste) and London Green Wood who carry out woodworking activities.
The long-awaited reopening mark an exciting new chapter in Abney Park’s extraordinary history. Local traders hope the improvements made to this historic nature reserve (one of London’s Magnificent Seven Cemeteries) will help attract visitors to the area.
Hackney Mayor Caroline Woodlea will be marking the opening with the cutting of a ribbon at the High St entrance to the park at 11am.
Abney Park Cafe by Sabel will be open all day, and hosting yoga sessions with Animo in the community room.
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