History & Heritage
The Highgate Cemetery Connection
Beatrice Thornton
17 April 2026 · 6 min read
Highgate Cemetery a short walk from Hampstead village holds an extraordinary concentration of Victorian figures. A guide to the most significant graves.
Highgate Cemetery lies a twenty minute walk from Hampstead village on the far side of the Heath and its connection to Hampstead is more than geographical. The cemetery opened in 1839 and quickly became the preferred resting place for the Victorian and Edwardian residents of north Londons intellectual and artistic community.
The West Cemetery requires a guided tour. The Egyptian Avenue the Circle of Lebanon and the Victorian catacombs are theatrical in a way that was intended. Karl Marxs monument in the East Cemetery draws pilgrims and George Eliot Herbert Spencer and Douglas Adams are buried nearby.
The Friends of Highgate Cemetery run an excellent programme of themed tours throughout the year. The spring visits when the cemeterys wildflowers are at their best are particularly worth attending.
Written by
Beatrice Thornton
Beatrice is a food writer and former restaurant critic who moved to Hampstead after falling in love with its independent café culture. She writes about the best places to eat, drink, and linger in North London, with a particular weakness for a well-made flat white and a slab of Victoria sponge.
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