The stone carved skull and crossbones which sit prominently upon the two gateposts of St. Nicholas’ Church in Deptford, remind passers-by of the inevitability of death, whilst also encourage reflection on one’s mortality. Such objects are known as Memento Mori, which is Latin for ‘remember that you will die’.

The weather-beaten skulls date back to around the 16th century and are rumoured to have been the inspiration for the world-famous pirate flag, the ‘Jolly Roger’. Even though the area has a strong links to maritime history and ‘Francis Drake’ and ‘Captain Cook’ are sighted as visiting here, it unfortunately seems highly unlikely, as there’s no real evidence to support this theory. Instead, it is said that they represented the church’s Charnel House, (an ancient vault or building where human remains were stored). Unfortunately, the small churchyard couldn’t cope with the number of burials taking place, so many bones had to be cleaned and then piled up inside this structure waiting for the ‘final judgement day’. 

In addition to making a trip to see ‘the gruesome twosome’, I would also recommend taking an intriguing wander around the eerie yet hauntingly beautiful churchyard. Here you will find ‘mummified-esque’ graves, century old vines twisting and turning through wrought iron headstones and the fascinating church tower, dating back to the 14th century.