Guest blogger! Highlights at Highgate!

This month's guest blogger is long time friend from Frankston days! Michelle Long.

Highlights at Highgate!

One of the best things on my London trip was my visit to Highgate Cemetery. I’ve always wanted to go there, and made a concerted effort to get there on my very last day. I had to check out of my hotel and had the whole day to fill in before going to the airport in the evening. Off I set!

The history of this place is quite unusual, but basically, in 1832 a Bill was passed in London allowing the creation of private cemeteries in the greater London area, to alleviate overcrowding in the inner city’s parish cemeteries. In the 10 years following this bill, 7 private cemeteries were created, known as the Magnificent Seven. Highgate was one of these, opening in 1839 with an initial 17 acres (15 acres for Church of England burials, and 2 acres for dissenters!). A further 20 acres was purchased and opened as the East cemetery, 20 years later, with the original (older) part becoming the West cemetery.

The topography/views around Highgate, and the snobbish mentality of wanting to be interred in a place seen as exclusive, meant that wealthy Victorians rushed to be buried here, hence some pretty awesome graves and tombs – the architecture of some of it is amazing, a bit spooky sometimes and completely fascinating. The most spectacular area is the Egyptian Avenue and Circle of Lebanon, built up around a 300 year old Lebanese Cedar tree. Even in decay, this archway/tunnel and circle of massive tombs is so impressive, and must have been unbelievably stunning in its heyday.

There are many famous people buried here, with the most visited grave being that of Karl Marx, in the East cemetery. The guides also tell many quirky stories about people lesser known to us, but who were famous at the time or who just have fascinating backgrounds.

By the 1930s the cemetery was in decline and it was eventually “sold” to the local council for a token amount and taken over by volunteers in 1975. It is heritage listed (grade 1) and a balance is tried to be maintained between upkeep/restoration of the graves (a constant battle – I saw headstones even from within the last 10 years, that were seriously wonky and tilting – the ground is very soft and wet underneath), safety for visitors, respect for the original purpose (and inhabitants!), access for families of those buried, and keeping it’s unique fascination/gothic decay/attraction to tourists.

Something I thought funny, was that in the 1970s when money was really needed, in desperation one section of land in the West was sold off as real estate. Hence over near the dissenters’ section there are a couple of huge, modern, very ugly, houses that literally have their homes on the edge of the cemetery – with big glass windows and balconies hanging over the graves! They really look awful and spoil the look of the edge of the cemetery, but what a great place to live, looking out over all those graves and green ivy every day. Maybe I am a bit strange (well, yes I know I am) but I would love ....

You can still be buried here (although there isn’t much room left – there are 170,000 interments in 53,000 graves), it costs from about £1,000 (ashes in an urn, in a wall, for a 50 year period) to £37,000 (burial in a prime front row spot!). I was really surprised at these prices – I thought it would be a lot more, especially as the cemetery is seriously in need of funds to maintain it. Because it is not a government concern, the cemetery is run by volunteers and the only income is from donations/entry fees/guided tours (currently £4 for East side, or £12 for East side/West tour). The main reason, I was told, for not allowing general access to the West cemetery unaccompanied, is for safety reasons – which I do understand as there is a LOT of subsidence in/around the graves, and it is often wet, slippery and muddy as well. At the same time, it was a bit frustrating not to be able to wander at will and do some serious exploration (get lost in a graveyard, yay!!). The tours (which are limited to 12 people and take an hour) don’t cover everywhere – not enough time – so each guide decides where he/she will go and they mix it up – I need to go back and do another tour to see different graves.

If any of you have read Tracy Chevalier’s Falling Angels novel, it is set in and around Highgate Cemetery, and mentions many of the graves/tombs/features there.

Happy ghost hunting!
Chelle.