Highgate Cemetery

Explore London’s atmospheric Victorian necropolis at Highgate Cemetery

Stepping into Highgate Cemetery feels like entering another world—a hauntingly beautiful forest of headstones where Victorian Gothic architecture meets wild, verdant nature in one of London’s most atmospheric historic sites.

Highlights:

• Wander through the overgrown splendor of the West Cemetery’s Egyptian Avenue and Circle of Lebanon, where Victorian grandeur meets nature’s reclamation.
• Discover the final resting places of notable figures from Karl Marx to George Michael, each telling their own story of cultural significance.
• Experience the eerie tranquility of the catacombs, where centuries-old coffins and ornate tombs offer a glimpse into Victorian burial customs.

Tickets & Prices

Entry to Highgate Cemetery requires tickets with different options depending on which parts you wish to explore. The East Cemetery is available for self-guided visits, while the West Cemetery can only be accessed through guided tours. For the full experience, a combined ticket grants access to both sections.

Only payment cards are accepted for purchases both online and on-site – cash is not accepted at all, so come prepared. Tickets can be purchased directly at the cemetery entrance, though booking in advance is recommended during peak seasons to secure your preferred time slot.

Tours

The West Cemetery, with its elaborate Victorian architecture and fragile historic structures, is accessible exclusively through guided tours. These tours provide invaluable historical context and stories that bring the cemetery to life, offering insights into Victorian funeral customs and the lives of those interred there.

Guided tours grant access to areas closed to the general public, including the atmospheric Egyptian Avenue and the Circle of Lebanon. Tour guides are knowledgeable about the cemetery’s history, notable graves, and the fascinating symbolism found throughout.

For those with specialized interests, themed tours (such as the British Museum Curator’s Tour) are occasionally available, focusing on specific historical connections or notable figures. The East Cemetery also offers dedicated guided tours for visitors wanting a more in-depth experience of this section.

Opening Hours

Highgate Cemetery welcomes visitors throughout the year with seasonal operating hours. From March to October, the cemetery is open daily from 10:00 AM, with last entry at 4:00 PM (not 4:30 PM as sometimes reported). During the winter months (November to February), the same opening time applies, but last entry is at 3:30 PM to account for earlier sunsets.

Bear in mind that the cemetery closes completely on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, so plan accordingly if visiting London during the holiday season. As an active burial site with approximately 30-35 new burials each year, occasional closures or restricted access may occur to accommodate funeral services.

What to See and Do

Here are the most fascinating things to do at Highgate Cemetery, where you can wander among centuries of history, famous graves, and some of London’s most hauntingly beautiful Gothic architecture.

Explore the Atmospheric West Cemetery

The older West Side is where I always take first-time visitors – it’s like stepping directly into a Victorian Gothic novel! Dating from 1839, this section features all the dramatic architecture and spooky vibes you’re hoping for. The paths wind up and down the hillside, sometimes steep and often gravel-covered, with ivy-covered monuments looming on either side.

What I love most about this side is how nature has been allowed to reclaim parts of it. The Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust made the brilliant decision to maintain a controlled wilderness rather than manicuring everything. The result? Tree roots lifting ancient graves, moss carpeting silent stone angels, and that perfect blend of beauty and decay that makes Victorian cemeteries so atmospheric.

Top tip: Wear comfortable shoes with a good grip, especially if visiting after rain—those Victorian paths can get slippery! And bring a camera – the light filtering through the trees creates some incredible photo opportunities.

Marvel at the Egyptian Avenue

The Egyptian Avenue is probably the cemetery’s most photographed feature, and for good reason! This straight pathway flanked by imposing doorways looks like something out of an old horror film. Each of the 16 family vaults could hold up to 12 people – prime real estate for Victorian families looking to spend eternity in style.

The Victorians were absolutely obsessed with Egypt after archaeological discoveries there, and this influence is everywhere in the cemetery. I always get a kick out of seeing how they blended Egyptian symbolism with Christian burial traditions – upside-down torches representing extinguished life, lotus symbols, and those curious keyhole designs.

My favorite part? When your guide unlocks one of the vault doors (not all tours do this, so cross your fingers!) and you get to peek inside at the original shelving designed to hold coffins. The chill you feel isn’t just from the cool air inside!

Discover the Circle of Lebanon

For me, the Circle of Lebanon is the absolute highlight of Highgate. This circular arrangement of ornate mausoleums was built around what was once a massive 230-year-old cedar tree. It’s like an architectural bullseye in the heart of the cemetery.

Walking around this circular catacomb structure, you’ll feel like you’ve time-traveled back to Victorian London. Each family vault represents a different architectural style – some with intricate carvings, others with symbolic statues or detailed family crests. The wealthy Victorian families who built these spared absolutely no expense.

The most fascinating part? Some of the mausoleums are missing their front panels, giving you an unexpected glimpse into the past. These weren’t vandalized recently – the cemetery deliberately preserves them this way to tell the authentic story of the 1970s, when the cemetery was abandoned and some tombs were damaged. It’s a bit eerie, but it makes for a much more interesting visit than if everything had been perfectly restored.

Visit Karl Marx’s Imposing Monument

Once you cross over to the East Cemetery, you can’t miss the enormous bust of Karl Marx – it’s the cemetery’s most famous grave by far. I’m always amused by the contrast between this massive monument and Marx’s originally modest grave.

The current imposing memorial wasn’t his original marker but was installed in 1956 by the Communist Party of Great Britain. His huge bronze head sits atop a granite pedestal inscribed with his famous words: “Workers of all lands unite,” and “Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways—the point, however, is to change it.”

Fun fact: Marx actually wrote much of “Das Kapital” while researching at the British Museum Reading Room! The guides love to tell visitors that his monument supposedly leans slightly due to a bombing attempt years ago, though I suspect that’s more cemetery folklore than historical fact. Either way, it makes for a great story!

Find Famous Graves in the East Cemetery

The East side offers a much more accessible experience with predominantly flat, tarmac paths – perfect if you’re traveling with anyone who has mobility concerns. This newer section (opened in 1860) lets you wander at your own pace, and you’ll get a leaflet highlighting notable graves when you enter.

Beyond Marx, there are tons of fascinating people buried here:

• George Michael is buried under his birth name, Georgios Panayiotou, alongside his mother and sister
• Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide author) has fans leaving pens and towels at his grave
• Patrick Caulfield designed his own minimalist tombstone that just says “DEAD” (talk about going out with a statement!)
• Malcolm McLaren’s tomb has that perfect Sex Pistols-worthy quote: “Better a spectacular failure than a benign success.”

I’ve spent hours here just wandering and discovering new stories. There’s something strangely moving about seeing these cultural icons’ final resting places – every grave reflecting something of their life’s work.

Appreciate the Victorian Funerary Symbolism

Once you start noticing the Victorian symbolism throughout Highgate, you’ll see it everywhere! Look for broken columns (symbolizing a life cut short), draped urns (representing the veil between life and death), and sleeping angels (the Victorian way of softening the idea of death).

Some of the most touching graves feature personal symbols that tell you about the deceased – coaches’ whips for drivers, musical notes for composers, and even portraits of beloved pets. My absolute favorite is Tom Sayers’ grave with the statue of his dog Lion, who famously attended his funeral as chief mourner!

Insider secret: Next time you visit any Victorian cemetery, look for hands – clasped hands often represent matrimonial bonds, while a hand pointing upward symbolizes the path to heaven. The Victorians had an entire visual language around death that most of us have forgotten how to read.

Experience the Eerie Catacombs

If you’re lucky enough to get on a tour that includes the catacombs (not all do!), you’re in for a treat. These vaulted burial chambers, built into the hillside and resembling classical catacombs above ground, contain some of the cemetery’s most fragile historical artifacts. The main Terrace Catacombs hold 825 loculi (shelves for coffins) designed for lead-lined coffins that would slow decomposition.

Here’s something most guidebooks won’t tell you: During the Victorian era, there were occasional reports of exploding coffins in places like this! The buildup of gases from decomposition could sometimes cause… well, messy situations. Thankfully, that’s not something modern visitors need to worry about.

The catacombs have a darker history, too – during the cemetery’s abandonment in the 1970s, many were vandalized, with some coffins broken open. This vandalism was partly fueled by the bizarre “Highgate Vampire” hysteria of the era. Today, you can still see evidence of this chapter in the cemetery’s history – a sobering reminder of how close this magnificent place came to being lost forever.

Directions

Highgate Cemetery is easily accessible via public transport, with the nearest tube station being Archway on the Northern Line. From there, it’s approximately a 10-minute uphill walk, or you can catch the C11 bus, which stops conveniently at the Brookfield Park stop near the cemetery entrance on Swain’s Lane. For those coming from Highgate tube station, it’s also walkable but slightly further.

Driving isn’t recommended due to the very limited parking in the area, and there’s no on-site car park. Cycling or walking are excellent alternatives, particularly as the cemetery sits within a beautiful part of North London with Waterlow Park and Hampstead Heath nearby.

Nearby Places

Waterlow Park: A gorgeous green space right next to the cemetery with lovely ponds and some of the best views of London’s skyline you’ll find in this part of town.

Hampstead Heath: Just a short walk away, this massive ancient parkland covers 320 hectares with swimming ponds and scenic walking paths.

Kenwood House: A stunning neoclassical villa at the edge of Hampstead Heath with an impressive collection of paintings, including works by Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Highgate Village: One of London’s most charming historic villages with independent shops, excellent pubs like The Flask, and picture-perfect Georgian architecture.

Parliament Hill Viewpoint: The perfect spot to catch one of London’s most spectacular panoramic views, especially magical at sunset.

Did you know that: (5 Interesting Facts!)

1. Highgate Cemetery once featured in Victorian tourist guides as a destination for leisure walks and picnics, with families holding keys to private vaults and spending time among the graves as a peaceful retreat.
2. During the 1970s, the cemetery became the focus of the bizarre “Highgate Vampire” legend, leading to grave desecration as self-proclaimed vampire hunters broke into tombs looking for the alleged 7-foot creature with red eyes.
3. Alexander Litvinenko, the Russian defector poisoned with radioactive polonium in 2006, is buried 12 feet underground in a lead-lined coffin to protect the public from radiation.
4. The cemetery is home to the graves of both Tom Sayers (a famous bare-knuckle boxer) and George Wombwell (a menagerie owner), both featuring statues of their beloved animals—a dog named Lion and a lion named Nero, respectively.
5. To purchase a burial plot at Highgate Cemetery in advance, you must either be over 80 years old or terminally ill, and a plot near Karl Marx’s tomb can cost upwards of £25,000.

History

A timeline of Highgate Cemetery’s fascinating evolution:

• 1839: Highgate Cemetery is established as part of London’s “Magnificent Seven” garden cemeteries, created to address overcrowded churchyards and prevent disease outbreaks.
• 1839-1860: The West Cemetery is developed first, featuring grand Victorian landscaping and elaborate architecture, including the Egyptian Avenue and Circle of Lebanon.
• 1860: The East Cemetery opens as an extension to accommodate the growing demand for burial spaces in London.
• 1869-1900: Highgate becomes one of London’s most prestigious burial grounds, with elaborate funeral processions and increasingly ornate tombstones and mausoleums.
• 1930s-1960s: Cremation grows in popularity, leading to financial decline for the cemetery and gradually reduced maintenance.
• 1969-1975: The cemetery is abandoned and falls into severe disrepair, with vandals breaking into mausoleums and damaging graves.
• 1970: The “Highgate Vampire” media sensation erupts, leading to occult activities and further vandalism as self-proclaimed vampire hunters trespass in search of the supernatural.
• 1975: The Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust takes over management and begins restoration efforts, choosing to preserve the wild character rather than returning to manicured landscaping.
• 1981: The cemetery is designated a Grade I listed site of special historic interest.
• Present day: The cemetery continues as an active burial ground with approximately 30-35 new burials annually, while welcoming thousands of visitors as both a historic site and nature reserve.

FAQ

Map & Address

Highgate Cemetery, Swain’s Lane Highgate, London N6 6PJ, United Kingdom

The cemetery is located in North London, between Highgate Village and Kentish Town, adjacent to Waterlow Park.