Highgate Cemetery, Cemetery in Highgate, London, England
Highgate Cemetery, designed by Stephen Geary, occupies a south-facing hillside beside Waterlow Park and is split by Swain's Lane into West and East sides. The West side holds the Egyptian Avenue and the Circle of Lebanon, both Grade I listed, with vaults and winding paths cut into the slope; the East side opened in 1860. A dirt path runs through the wooded grounds between ivy-covered crosses and headstones.
Opened on 20 May 1839, when Bishop of London Charles James Blomfield dedicated the West Cemetery to St James; the first burial was Elizabeth Jackson on 26 May. The London Cemetery Company, incorporated by Act in 1836, had bought the south-facing hillside site next to Waterlow Park. A further 19 acres east of Swain's Lane opened in 1860. The company went bankrupt in 1960; the Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust, set up in 1975, acquired both sides by 1981.
The grounds hold burials of philosopher Karl Marx, novelist George Eliot, author Douglas Adams, and DNA researcher Rosalind Franklin, whose graves draw visitors from around the world. The site serves as an important memorial space for literature, science and political history, reflecting Victorian attitudes toward death and commemoration.
March through October hours run from 10:00 to 17:00, while November through February closing occurs at 16:00. Eastern section entry requires payment, while western area tours need advance booking. The nearest Underground station is Archway on the Northern Line, about 15 minutes uphill walk away. Photography is permitted but tripods require special permission.
The cemetery is a de facto nature reserve: trees, shrubbery and wildflowers grow largely without human influence, and foxes live on the grounds. The Egyptian Avenue and the Circle of Lebanon are Grade I listed; the circle's 280-year-old Cedar of Lebanon was cut down and replaced in August 2019.
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