They Mostly Come At Night... Mostly...

In the nineteenth century, London's population was spiralling out of control, putting more and more pressure on the city's church graveyards. At a time when disease and epidemic was widespread, and there concerns of contaminated graveyards, something had to be done. By order of Parliament, all inner London graveyards were closed, and seven new cemeteries were constructed on the outskirts of the city. They are now known as the Magnificient Seven, and Highgate Cemetery is one of them.

Highgate's importance can be attributed to the beautiful and thoughtful design of many graves, and the signficantly high number of notable people buried there; 850 people according to many web sites. Highgate is the final resting place of Karl Marx, Michael Faraday, Sir Ralph Richardson, Douglas Adams, Radclyffe Hall, Sir Michael Redgrave, Sidney Nolan, and Alexander Litvinenko (the Russian ex-spy assassinated last year).

According to the BBC, there are 168,000 names on 52,000 graves, in just 37 acres. It's a staggering number that can only be appreciated when you visit the relatively site. The cemetery is divided in two, on the east and west sides of Swains Lane.

The West Cemetery is the original site, and features the amazing design and architecture for which Highgate is famous, especially the areas known as Egyptian Avenue and the Circle of Lebanon. Both sites are beautiful. It feels like you've wandered onto the set of a gothic horror film. In fact, one can't help but wonder how many films and novels owe a debt to Highgate for inspiration. Angels are another common theme to the design of graves.

By the 1960s the West Cemetery was in a state of ruin. It became fashionable to enter the cemetery at night for a lark. Many graves were ruined through carelessness and disrespect. Around this time, the legend of the Highgate Vampire was born. By 1975, the West Cemetery was financially unviable and closed. In the early 1980s one local woman bought the freehold to the cemetery (for £1, no less!) and formed the Friends of Highgate Cemetery to care for this important part of London's history. When Mike and I visited the cemetery a few months ago, we had good fortune to meet this enterprising lady.

There is only one question she wouldn't answer: how much does a plot cost in the West Cemetery? The cemetery is not selling new plots in advance. Immediately following a death, the family can approach the cemetery, and enquire about burial, at which time a fee is negotiated. Given the high number of notable burials from the past, it is somewhat appropriate that most recent burials seem to be for those with some celebrity. Still, it's a small price to pay for safeguarding the longevity of one of London's landmarks.

All of my Highgate Cemetery photos are here.