The New Churchyard, or Bethlam burial ground, was a burial ground in London created to accommodate the great number of new interments required as the city hugely increased in size during 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
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It was rediscovered in the 19th century during the development of Broad Street station and, subsequently, during the construction of the Crossrail railway project, it became the object of a major archaeological "dig" and analysis.
History
In 16th century London, parish cemeteries were full. As an alternative, in 1569 the vegetable plot at the Royal Bethlem Hospital was walled and opened as a burial ground, staying in use until March 1739.
It's estimated that around 25,000 people were buried on the site.
Re-discovery
Successive developments in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries in Liverpool Street have disturbed parts of the burial ground. The construction of Broad Street station from 1863 to 1865 disinterred thousands of burials. A full investigation occurred in the mid 1980s, prior to the development of Broadgate, and around 400 skeletons were retained for study and analysis.