London's Alleys: Church Yard Walk, Paddington, W2

"It was during these expansions that what appears on John Rocque's 1746 map as a wide road just north of the current church was blocked off to create a single site for the church and its graveyard. They did however, retain the path for pedestrians, and it can be seen on the Greenwood map of 1828 as a small dotted line."

"The graveyard proved contentious due to a dispute over payments. For many churches, burials were an essential source of income, and squabbles could arise about how they were to be split between the parish and the church. In 1796, the Bishop of London claimed half the income from the burials at Paddington, only to be rebuffed by the assistant curate, who was then sacked."

"The burial ground closed in 1857, and after many years of neglect, was finally opened to the public as a park in June 1870. Today, the passage splits the church from the park."

St Mary on Paddington Green has served as a place of worship for over 800 years, with the current church consecrated in 1791. The graveyard expanded multiple times between 1732 and 1825 as the church grew. Disputes over burial income between the parish and church created significant tensions, including a 1796 conflict with the Bishop of London over payment splits. During these expansions, a wide road visible on 1746 maps was blocked off to create a unified church and graveyard site, while a pedestrian path was retained. The burial ground closed in 1857 and opened as a public park in 1870. Today, a passage still divides the church from the park.

Read at ianVisits