Just a short walk from Borough Market, a set of iron gates on Redcross Way is covered with colorful ribbons, flowers, handwritten messages and small personal keepsakes.
Behind them lies Cross Bones Graveyard, one of London’s most unusual historic burial grounds and a memorial to people once buried on the margins of society.
Who Were the Outcast Dead?
Cross Bones is traditionally associated with the Winchester Geese, the nickname given to women who worked in the licensed brothels of medieval Southwark.
At the time, this part of London fell under the authority of the Bishop of Winchester. Brothels operated within the Liberty of the Clink, where activities forbidden within the City of London were permitted.
The story goes that these women, despite working in brothels regulated by the Bishop’s authority, were denied burial in consecrated churchyards.
In 1598, historian John Stow described a burial ground for these women known as the Single Woman’s Churchyard. Whether that medieval cemetery occupied the exact site of today’s Cross Bones Graveyard remains uncertain.
The Forgotten Paupers’ Cemetery
What is firmly documented is Cross Bones’ later history as a burial ground for Southwark’s poorest residents.
By the 18th century, it was used for paupers, including people from workhouses and families unable to afford other burial arrangements. The cemetery became dangerously overcrowded and finally closed in 1853.
During construction work associated with the Jubilee Line extension in the 1990s, Museum of London archaeologists excavated 148 burials. Many were infants and young children, reflecting the harsh living conditions and high child mortality of the period.
Archaeologists estimated that the remains represented less than one percent of the people buried there. The total is commonly estimated at around 15,000.
Why Are There Ribbons on the Gates?
The ribbons are not a medieval custom.
They are part of a modern memorial tradition that developed after the graveyard’s rediscovery in the 1990s.
Local writer John Constable and the Friends of Crossbones helped bring attention to the forgotten burial ground, eventually working with community groups to protect it.
Today, the gates are covered with ribbons, flowers, messages and personal tributes remembering “The Outcast Dead.”
Behind the gates, the former burial ground has become a volunteer-tended Garden of Remembrance.
The colorful ribbons are what first catch your eye, but the history behind them makes this quiet corner of Southwark worth remembering.
Address: Redcross Way, London SE1 1TA
Nearest Station: Borough or London Bridge
Visiting: The memorial gates can be viewed from the street. The garden has limited volunteer-run opening hours; check the official website before visiting.
Website: Bankside Open Spaces Trust — Crossbones Graveyard
Keep Exploring London
The George Inn Southwark: Inside London’s Last Galleried Coaching Inn
Queen Anne’s Gate, Westminster: Ornate Doorways and a Walking Statue