Chest Tomb With Volutes, South Enclosure

This is a mid-18th century chest tomb located in the south enclosure of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground. It is made of Portland stone and features a brick plinth. The tomb is tall with a projecting coped lid and a moulded base. The sides of the chest have label-shaped fielded panels, although the inscriptions on them are now illegible. The ends of the tomb also have similar panels, which are positioned between elongated, intricately carved volutes.

Bunhill Fields was established as a burial ground in 1665 and became a significant Nonconformist cemetery due to its location just outside the City boundary and its independence from any Established place of worship. It is the final resting place of notable figures such as John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe, and William Blake. The cemetery was closed for burials in 1853 and transformed into a public park in 1867, with further landscaping done after war damage in 1964-1965.

The chest tomb is recognized for its well-preserved state and its unique Continental Baroque style, as well as its group value with other listed tombs in the south enclosure of the Grade I registered Bunhill Fields Burial Ground.