It is a burial ground for all who lived in the parish, of all faiths and none. Established in 1869, it contains many university academics and has been labelled Britian's Brainiest Graveyard. It includes five Darwins, and three Nobel Laureates but probably the best known and most visited grave is that of Ludwig Wittgenstein.
The Ascension burial ground (formely St Giles' burial ground) is found just off the Huntingdon Rd in Cambridge as you head out of the city centre on the lefthand side. Go past Storey's Way and another 50m you will see a narrow single track road, All Souls Lane, marked for the Ascension, blink and you will miss it.
They all come here for Wittgenstein, he is the star. A steady stream of visitors day after day, some famous, others not. Some just sit beside his grave, most leave something - pine cones, pennies, cigarettes, but I have not found any logic to their offerings or the key to the code. Patti Smith left her plectrum.
My photos at the Ascension are part of a larger documentary project on Eric Marland, a Lettercutter whose studio is now in the chapel. A documentary video mixing oral recording and photographs is available in my videos, Eric Marland's Alphabet Museum.
Comments