Goose Garden
The vision of a Garden of Remembrance dedicated to The Goose and her outcast dead goes back to the dawn of this millennium when local residents successfully opposed plans
to develop the site of the old Crossbones Graveyard.
This aspiration has been recognised by Southwark Council in its most recent Supplementary Planning Guidance. An 'invisible' wild garden already flourishes on Crossbones. The next phase of our work is to protect and build on what has so far been achieved. If you would like to get more involved with the campaign for a Garden of Remembrance, please take a little time to get to know where we've come from and where to hope to go. See below and main 'History' page.
Back in 1883, Cross Bones’ proposed sale as a building-site had prompted Lord Brabazon to write a letter to The Times
“…with a view to save this ground from such desecration, and to retain it as an open space for the use and enjoyment of the people.”
The sale was declared null and void under the Disused Burial Grounds Act (1884), which permitted only extensions to places of worship to be built on burial grounds.
During the Museum of London excavations prior to work on the Jubilee Line Extension in the 1990s, 148 skeletons were removed. The Museum’s own publication (The Cross Bones Burial Ground, 1999) acknowledges that its excavations “were carried out under difficult conditions and, due to circumstances beyond the control of the excavators, time pressure was severe… the material excavated is only a small sample, less than 1% of the total number of burials”. Many bones were damaged during construction work on an electricity substation for the new line; thousands more remain buried in the ground.
In 2002, Southwark Council’s refused London Transport Property’s application for the “erection of 3 x 4 storey buildings for office use with associated car parking” on the site at “land adjacent to Redcross Way and Union Street, London SE1” (formerly Cross Bones Graveyard).
Since then, attempts to develop the site have met with strong local opposition. Any major development would mean that this historic, sacred site would be desecrated, if not totally destroyed. The foundations required for the proposed office-blocks would inevitably disturb human remains, which would have to be completely removed before any building-work could take place.
AND, THIS TIME, WE WILL BE WATCHING!
Most Friends of Cross Bones would not object to a development on the non-contentious parts of the site, provided due respect is shown to the most sensitive area – i.e. the land adjacent to, and to the south of, the Memorial Gates, bounded by Redcross Way, Union Street and the electricity sub-station building.
Friends of Cross Bones have suggested that this part of the site be rededicated as a memorial ‘Goose Garden’ and public park, with an interpretation board relating its history and a token tombstone to honour ‘The Outcast Dead’. Such a garden would help redress the shortage of open space in an area of community need.
The Cross Bones Graveyard has already become an important visitors’ attraction in its own right. It could become a world heritage site and wildlife habitat, a place for meditation, recreation and education, and for exhibitions and performances.
A recent planning application by Network Rail (ref: 08 - AP - 1439) for the creation of a temporary car-park on the site specifically excluded the graveyard area from their plans.
PLANNING STATEMENT (1) 2008-07-04 (Page 7, point 4.0.8) refers to the Redcross Way memorial gates: 'The proposed use of the site as a temporary carpark will not interfere with these gates or the shrine.'
OFFICER'S REPORT 2008-08-19 (page 2, item 6): 'Temporary Carpark. The temporary carpark site is located on part of a larger site bounded by Redcross Way, Union Street and Southwark Street is presently being used as an informal carpark for commercial tenants elsewhere on site, and partially used for storage by Thames water. The 'Crossbones Graveyard' occupies the southern part of the site, on the corner of Redcross Way and Union Street. The location of the temporary carpark is approximately midway between Southwark Street and Union Street on Redcross Way, just to the north of the 'Crossbones Graveyard'. It should be stressed that 'Crossbones Graveyard' and the shrine (gates) will be unaffected by the proposed works and temporary use.' (my italics)
DECISION NOTICE PLANS (2) 2008-08-19 (second page illustration): shows the agreed layout of the carpark, avoiding the burial ground and shrine gates. (Other restrictions and conditions apply to this decision.)
An informal ‘Friends of Cross Bones’ gathering has grown up around the monthly vigils at the memorial Gates. By 2005, regular discussions about the proposed Garden of Remembrance were held there, along with occasional rituals and guided meditations to ‘envision’ the Goose Garden. In 2007, site security was persuaded to permit limited access to the site.
On St George’s Day, 23rd April 2007, a group of volunteers cleared ten black bin-bags of rubbish from the proposed Memorial Garden area. This was followed by an on-site ritual – to honour the outcast dead under the protection of St George, Our Lady’s Knight’ – and a performance (by John Crow, Niall McDevitt and the ‘Blakespeare’ Collective) of songs and poems by Shakespeare, Blake and from ‘The Southwark Mysteries’.
Since then, a mysterious 'invisible gardener' has subtly transformed the wasteland into a beautiful wild garden. This Invisible Garden may well be ephemeral, yet serves as an exemplar of the memorial 'Goose Garden' we hope to see established here.
We urge the site owners, Transport for London, Southwark Council, local businesses and philanthropists to come together to realise this vision of a Memorial Garden for the poor people of Southwark, who played such a vital part in the area’s colourful history.
The Mayor of London, Simon Hughes MP, the Leader of the Council and many other Southwark Councillors and Council Officers have been informed of these concerns and proposals to create a ‘Goose Garden’ which, together with the ‘Cross Bones Memorial Gates’, constitute an important heritage site.
Recently Valerie Shawcross and Caroline Pigeon, respectively Labour and Liberal Democrat Members of the London Assembly and Chair and Deputy Chair of the Transport Committee, have asked The Mayor and TfL to ensure that planning briefs for the future development of the site take account of its historical and cultural importance and include consultations with Friends of Cross Bones on the provision of public space.
In a recent letter thanking Val Shawcross and copied to both the Commissioner for Transport and the Head of Property at TfL, John Constable has requested that any such planning brief should include the creation of a Garden of Remembrance.
