Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
11 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
13 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
17 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Captain Bligh's Grave

Captain Bligh's Grave

The breadfruit-adorned final resting place of the infamous Captain of the HMS Bounty.

London , England

Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The...
  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The...
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_...
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mutiny_H...
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grave_of...
  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gra...
  Steve 55 / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  LordRivers / Atlas Obscura User
  LordRivers / Atlas Obscura User
  LordRivers / Atlas Obscura User
Garden Museum Cafe Entrance   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

"Know then my own Dear Betsy, that I have lost the Bounty...on the 28 April at day light in the morning Christian having the morning watch. He with several others came into my Cabin while I was a Sleep, and seizing me, holding naked Bayonets at my Breast, tied my Hands behind my back, and threatened instant destruction if I uttered a word..."

     -William Bligh to his wife, c. June 1791

The dramatic uprising and mutiny on the HMS Bounty, made famous in both novels and films was just the beginning of William Bligh's extraordinary adventure of perseverance, survival, and revenge.

Left stranded on the ship's tiny launch with 18 loyal crew members, Bligh led his men on an almost unbelievable 47-day voyage across the open seas, using only dead reckoning to determine the path. Astonishingly, they arrived successfully in East Timor, having crossed 3,618 nautical miles. Bligh immediately reported the mutiny, and began to make his way back to London to clear his name, and destroy the mutineers'.

The HMS Bounty had been sent out in search of breadfruit, a fruit native to Tahiti, which it had been suggested could be cheaply grown and used to feed slaves in the West Indies. Tahiti had proven to hold much finer charms than the flavorless breadfruit, leaving the crew enraptured by the local women's beauty and the seemingly friendly and easy way of life.

On April 28, 18 mutineers took control of the Bounty, set the Captain and men adrift, and eventually took her to Pitcairn Island to begin a new life of ease in the tropics.

Back in London, Bligh was officially exonerated of the charges, and history has painted a picture of a standard officer of the Navy, no harsher a captain than most, but thanks to the fictional depictions, his legacy remains synonymous with cruel and unjust leadership nonetheless. The mutineers' lives on Pitcairn turned out to be much less idyllic than they had hoped, and violence and death came quickly to their little community. Just five years later, when a ship finally visited Pitcairn and discovered the story, there was only one survivor of the original mutineers.

Bligh died in London in December, 1817, and was buried at what was then St. Mary's Church, his family's local parish church. It is now the Garden Museum, and Bligh's tomb is surrounded by lovely plantings.

Bligh's former home is also a historic landmark located nearby at 100 Lambeth Road in London. The wreck of the Bounty can still be seen by divers off the coast of Pitcairn Island.

Related Tags

Catacombs And Crypts

Know Before You Go

The tomb lies in a courtyard just inside of The Garden Museum's Cafe. Entrance into the cafe is free, the museum has an admission scheme. Located on the Southbank, look for the church tower on the eastern side of the Lambeth Road roundabout. Open from 10:30 a.m - 5 p.m.

Community Contributors

Edited By

SEANETTA, Steve 55, LordRivers

  • SEANETTA
  • Steve 55
  • LordRivers

Published

February 4, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1895
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bligh
  • http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_bounty.htm
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_Museum
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiny_on_the_Bounty
Captain Bligh's Grave
5 Lambeth Palace Rd
London , England, SE1 7LB
United Kingdom
51.494936, -0.120235
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Garden Museum

London, England

miles away

S.O.E. Monument

London, England

miles away

Tamesis Dock

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

Nearby Places

Garden Museum

London, England

miles away

S.O.E. Monument

London, England

miles away

Tamesis Dock

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

Related Places

  • That Makmo.

    Luang Prabang, Laos

    That Pathum

    One-of-a-kind stupa in Laos.

  • The Crypt

    Lastingham, England

    Crypt of the Church of St. Mary

    Thought to be the oldest Norman crypt in the world.

  • One of the skeletons at St. Martins Church

    Aulendorf, Germany

    Skeletons of St. Martin Church

    Two elaborately decorated "catacomb saints" are displayed on either side of the altar in a small church in Germany.

  • Naples, Italy

    Church of Santa Maria la Nova

    Does this church in Naples hold the true tomb of Vlad the Impaler, the notoriously cruel figure who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula?

  • Milan, Italy

    Crypt of San Sepolcro

    Saint Borromeo often prayed in this austere crypt during the 16th century.

  • Paphos, Cyprus

    Agia Solomoni Catacomb

    Beneath an ancient wishing tree lies an underground chapel with 12th-century frescoes and catacombs dedicated to a lady saint.

  • The mummified remains of the vicar are visible from his glass encased coffin.

    St. Thomas am Blasenstein, Austria

    Luftg'selchter Pfarrer (The Air-Dried Priest)

    In a crypt underneath this church lies a naturally mummified vicar whose story is surrounded by mystery.

  • Crypt

    Mantua, Italy

    Crypt of San Sebastiano's Church

    Wander through a maze of empty tombs to find the poles used to hang revolutionary patriots.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.