Overgrown and mysterious Highgate Western Cemetery beckons. Its gates promise secrets whispered through time.
Highgate Western Cemetery opened in 1839. It eased London’s desperate need for burial space. Wealthy Londoners found their final rest here. Grand monuments mark their graves.
The cemetery’s entrance boasts two chapels. One served Anglicans the other Nonconformists. A large arch sheltered mourners from rain. The Anglican chapel still hosts funerals concerts and meetings. The Nonconformist chapel lies silent.
Highgate West’s hillside location made work challenging. Digging graves and moving heavy monuments proved arduous. The Victorian era’s funerary architecture is breathtaking. Simple headstones and elaborate family tombs stand side-by-side.
Rumors of vampires haunted Highgate West in the 1960s. Strange figures appeared among the tombstones. Swain’s Lane connecting the east and west cemeteries felt isolated. The overgrown cemetery became a film location. Hammer Horror’s Taste the Blood of Dracula featured Highgate’s eerie setting.
The Rossetti family grave holds a poignant story. Elizabeth Siddal wife of artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti died of a laudanum overdose. Rossetti buried a book of poems with her. Years later he had her grave exhumed to retrieve it. Haunted by the act he declared he never wanted burial at Highgate.
Christina Rossetti Dante Gabriel’s sister is also buried there. A celebrated poet she volunteered at a home for “fallen women”. Their stories influenced her work. Nearby lies an unmarked grave. Eleven women some as young as twelve rest there. They were likely women Christina met at the home.
Highgate West’s Egyptian Avenue stands out. The Egyptian Revival style influenced its design. Lotus flowers adorn the columns. The avenue leads to the Circle of Lebanon. A magnificent Cedar of Lebanon crowns the scene. Two circles of tombs surround the tree. Older tombs face outwards. Newer tombs face inwards reflecting changing fashion.
Tom Sayers a famous Victorian prize fighter is buried here. His funeral drew 100000 mourners. His faithful dog Lion sits eternally in stone beside him.
Neglect after World War II left the cemetery overgrown. The Friends of Highgate Cemetery are now restoring it. Highgate Western Cemetery with its stunning architecture and rich history remains a captivating place. Many stories are yet to be discovered.