Social History / arnos vale cemetery
Walks, tours, yoga and folkcraft: summer events at Arnos Vale
Every year, summer transforms Arnos Vale Cemetery into a vibrant multitude of greens.
As a result, more perhaps than at any other time in the year, the historic site becomes a place where visitors can find themselves exploring new, lush, and densely thicketed corners in which to reconnect with nature, and find peace.
Several among the numerous events hosted at Arnos Vale through July and August will enable visitors the time and space to appreciate the unique surroundings of the Victorian ‘garden cemetery’, which is spread across 45 acres, loosely sandwiched between the Bath and Wells roads.
The Anglican chapel seen through a variety of trees, Arnos Vale – photo: David Gurney
Led by an expert guide, a summer tree identification tour will take in a variety of the diversity of evergreens and deciduous tree species on the site, which range from Italian Cypress to Austrian Pine, Field Maple, Irish and English Yew, Monkey Puzzle, Western Red Cedar, Norway Spruce, English Oak, Hornbeam, Sycamore and Cypress – both the North American ‘Nootka’ variety, and the ‘Sawara’, native to Japan.
Wellbeing coach Dr Miriam Riccci will be leading a 90-minute guided ‘nature connection’ walk around Arnos Vale that aims to help participants to slow down and access a state of calm.
“This restorative experience blends movement, mindfulness with practices drawn from positive psychology and nature-connection research”, she explains. “You’ll leave feeling grounded, refreshed and equipped with simple tools to support your wellbeing in everyday life.”
The Morbid Curiosity Tour is ‘not for the faint-hearted’, and discretion is advised.
Echoing these goals, a 4Beat yoga practice in the Anglican Chapel will harness a slow vinyasa flow rhythm to build a “meditative, immersive experience”, to be followed by conversation and refreshments.
Haunts Curiosity Shoppe will be in situ on the last Sunday in July, platforming 25 makers and purveyors of ‘folkcraft, witchcraft and oddities’.
And for those seeking an altogether edgier experience, the ever-popular night-time Morbid Curiosity and Murder Mystery and Mayhem cemetery tours will bring to life tales of murder, rioting, adultery and answers to the question: ‘I wonder how they died?’
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For further details to all upcoming events and activities at Arnos Vale, visit www.arnosvale.org.uk.
All photos (unless stated): Arnos Vale Cemetery
Read next:
- Festival of Nature is back this June – and bigger than ever
- Arnos Vale announces a busy spring events programme
- Laughter’s story: finding nature, community and care in Bristol
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