explore | Grilled Cheese

@deluxa.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 10:17 PM

@westminsterabbey.bsky.social Oct 15, 2026, 11:09 AM

Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English poetry, was buried in the Abbey in 1400. He was the first writer to be buried in what became known as Poets' Corner, beginning a tradition which now sees more than a hundred of our greatest poets and novelists remembered there.

#30DaysofGraves #Literature

An eye-level shot of Geoffrey Chaucer's tomb in Westminster Abbey. This Purbeck marble tomb, dating to 1556, features a grey chest-tomb on the left with three carved quatrefoil panels, each enclosing a shield. Above is a white marble plaque set into a dark recessed niche. The faded Latin inscription on the plaque is flanked by two painted red and gold shields. A highly decorative canopy arches over the niche, supported by spiral-grooved columns. The canopy features four pointed arches, intricate tracery, and small floral carvings along the top. The surrounding walls are made of weathered grey and off-white stone.

@deluxa.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 9:47 PM

Fall graveyard #30daysofgraves #fall #graves

@westminsterabbey.bsky.social Oct 13, 2026, 10:08 AM

Did you know that actor and playwright Ben Jonson is the only person to be buried in an upright position in the Abbey? He had told the Dean of Westminster that he was too poor for a grave in Poets' Corner and that 'two feet by two feet will do for all I want'.

#30DaysofGraves #Unusual

A close-up shot of a small, rectangular stone wall marker engraved with the epitaph: "O RARE BEN JOHNSON". The black, serif-font letters are carved into a tan, textured stone slab set into a light grey, weathered stone wall. A rough, aged stone ledge runs horizontally above the inscription.

A white marble memorial monument featuring a relief portrait of a man, Ben Jonson, in a circular medallion. He has curly hair, a beard, and a mustache, and is depicted in a three-quarter view facing slightly to his left. He wears a collared garment with buttons down the front. Above the medallion is a carved laurel branch. On either side are vertical decorative elements resembling small bells or tassels. Below, a carved scroll-like frame encloses the inscribed epitaph: "O RARE BEN: IOHNSON" in capital letters.

@westminsterabbey.bsky.social Oct 10, 2026, 3:05 PM

The gilt bronze tomb effigy of Margaret Beaufort shows the countess in her old age, wearing a widow's dress with a hood and long mantle. At her feet lies a yale, a mythical antelope‑like creature, whose horns have been lost in the centuries since her death.

#30DaysofGraves #Missing

A high-angle shot captures a gilded bronze tomb effigy of a Lady Margaret Beaufort lying in repose, her hands joined in prayer. Her head, covered in a veil, rests on a pair of pillows, and her long, flowing gown is rendered with deep, dramatic folds. At her feet, a small, sculpted yale lies curled. The effigy is enclosed by a dark, ornate wrought-iron railing with pointed, spear-like finials.

A close-up shot of a golden yale sculpture with worn, dark patches, lying at the foot of a tomb effigy. The yale is in sharp focus, facing forward with its ears extended. A hollow cylindrical opening sits atop its head between its ears. In the soft-focused background, the draped robes and hands of a reclining figure are visible, alongside dark metal railings.

@westminsterabbey.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 9:13 AM

Simon Langham was the only abbot of Westminster to become a cardinal. His alabaster tomb lies in the Chapel of St Benedict, where two dogs rest at his feet. Dogs were often used on clergy tombs in the middle ages to represent the faith of the deceased.

#30DaysofGraves #Animal

An eye-level medium close-up shot of the alabaster tomb of Simon Langham shows his feet resting on a pair of small dogs wearing belled collars. The tomb is in Westminster Abbey in London. At the far upper left, Langham's head lies on a pillow, facing upwards.
The dog on the left has floppy ears, and its front paws are extended. Its neck is adorned with a thick collar of round bells, and its head is turned slightly to the right, facing upwards. The dog on the right faces right, with its front legs extended. It also wears a collar of round bells. Behind the dogs, a black iron gate runs diagonally from the upper left to the lower right. The scene is illuminated by light from the upper right, casting shadows on the left side of the dogs and the tomb.

@hyssop.bsky.social Oct 5, 2026, 12:23 PM

#30DaysofGraves - Vehicle
Acacia Park Cemetery, Mendota Heights, MN
Not a unique or impressive marker, but cemeteries are full of small moments that are equally resonant. It’s always worth pausing to see the mementoes people leave on graves, especially those of children.