Highgate Cemetery

www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list

Cemetery laid out by the London Cemetery Company and opened in 1839 (Highgate West Cemetery), extended 1855 (Highgate East Cemetery).

DESCRIPTION

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING

Highgate Cemetery, c 14.5ha, is located to the south of Highgate. The cemetery is in two parts, divided by Swain's Lane. Highgate West Cemetery, c 7ha, is bounded by Swain's Lane to the east and by the buildings and gardens on South Grove to the north, and the Holly Lodge Estate to the west and south. It is on steeply sloping ground, falling from north-west to south-east. Highgate East Cemetery, c 7.5ha, is bounded by Swain's Lane to the west, by Waterlow Park (qv) to the north, the Whittington Hospital and residential cul-de-sacs to the east, and Chester Road to the south. It is on gently sloping ground, falling from north-west to south-east. There are some views from the higher ground southwards but the views are generally restricted by the planting. The boundaries of the site are marked by a mixture of walls and fences, the east boundary wall to Highgate West being of yellow stock brick with Portland stone capping, designed by Geary in 1838 (listed grade II).

ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES

The main entrance to the West Cemetery is from Swain's Lane, with entrance gates, mortuary chapels and lodge (1838, listed grade II), all designed by Geary in a Tudor style of yellow stock brick with stone dressings. A secondary entrance to the west side lies in the north-east corner, with Gothic-style lodge and entrance gates by Geary (1838, listed grade II). The main entrance to the East Cemetery is now from Swain's Lane through entrance gates which face the main entrance to the West Cemetery. Another entrance to the east side is from Chester Road to the south, where entrance gates and a lodge mark what was formerly the main entrance.

GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS

The landscape in the West Cemetery is composed of winding drives and paths through mature trees and shrubberies, with statuary and elaborate funerary architecture arranged within the structural planting on terraces set in the steeply sloping ground. Within the more wooded areas are clearings with meadows of wild flowers and native grasses, and smaller areas with herbaceous planting.

The main entrance to the west side leads through an archway which links the mortuary chapels into the entrance forecourt, with the entrance lodge to the north-east. The entrance gates, chapels, lodge and east boundary walls form the east side of the large forecourt which is paved in setts laid in a fan shape (1989) and bounded on the west side by the Tudor-style curved Colonnade (listed grade II). In front of the Colonnade is the Cross of Sacrifice of the Commonweath War Graves Commission. From the forecourt the cemetery can be approached from the main circuit drive which leads off to north and south, or from a steep path which leads north-west from the centre of the Colonnade. All these routes converge to the north-west of the forecourt at Comforts Corner, named after members of the Comfort family who are buried in the area. From Comforts Corner paths meander to the west and east and in a loop to the south but the main path leads north-east towards the north end of the cemetery.

The main path continues in a north-easterly direction up the slope until it reaches the gateway to the Egyptian Avenue. The arched gate is flanked by paired attached columns with lotus bud caps carrying entablature and with an obelisk on each side of the entrance. The Egyptian Avenue leads up a long sloping path between two high walls lined with tombs. At the end of the Egyptian Avenue the path enters and circuits the Lebanon Circle, which consists of a circular crypto-porticus in Egyptian style, with tombs on each side, and a massive cedar of Lebanon (which pre-dates the cemetery) in the earth-filled drum in the centre of the Circle. The Egyptian Avenue enters the Circle at the south-east side and on the opposite side of the Circle is the Julius Beer Mausoleum by John Oldrid Scott (listed grade II*, added c 1870 at the same time as the outer half-circle of tombs). The Mausoleum and cedar are both at ground level and are only partially seen from the Circle path which is deeply recessed. Half-way between the Mausoleum and Avenue on each side are flights of steps leading to the upper level from where the cedar is seen more clearly. At the top of the steps there is a further circular path leading around the outer circle. At the north end is the Beer Mausoleum which is centred on the Terrace Catacombs, immediately to the north, which form a retaining wall above which is the church of St Michael's, Highgate. Flights of steps at either end of the catacombs formerly led to the top of the asphalted Terrace, from which there were extensive views over the cemetery and to central London. The path continues around the Lebanon Circle to the east side, past the C19 temple-style Mausoleum to Cheylesmore (listed grade II), and then branches, one part continuing around the Circle and another leading to the north-east portion of the West Cemetery and terminating at the north-east lodge on Swain's Lane. Between the Circle and the lodge two paths lead southwards, giving the option of returning back towards the Egyptian Avenue and Comforts Corner or following a smaller path through the eastern part of the cemetery until it joins the main drive as it approaches the entrance forecourt. In the corner formed between the path, the Swain's Lane boundary and the entrance forecourt is a small area which has been planted up as a Memorial Garden commemorating Friends of Highgate Cemetery who have died.

On entering the East Cemetery from Swain's Lane there are three large, granite mausoleums near to the entrance: the first immediately north of the entrance is to Donald Alexander Smith and is now used by the FOHC; the second immediately to the east is to a benefactor of the blind and stands on the site of a conservatory; the third, and largest, stands to the south of the path and is to Davison Alexander Dalziel. The drive continues to the south-east and then branches, one drive leading south towards the lodge and entrance on Chester Road and the other circuiting the eastern side of the cemetery before returning to meet the other drive immediately north of the lodge. Smaller paths lead off the drives into the centre and edges of the cemetery through mature trees and shrubberies and the graves and memorials. The planting is less dense on this side and the ground less steep, so there are more views within this part of the cemetery but few beyond it.

There is a group of listed graves around the path in the north-east corner of the cemetery including those of Karl Marx (listed grade I), George Elliot (listed grade II), George Holyoake (social reformer and organiser of the Co-operative movement, listed grade II) and Herbert Spencer (philosopher, listed grade II).

Further to the graves and mausoleums individually noted are nineteen graves in the west side listed grade II and a further two on the east side listed grade II. For more information on the graves and on the ecology, see the FOHC literature.

REFERENCES

F T Cansick, A Collection of Curious and Interesting Epitaphs (1872)

B Cherry and N Pevsner, The Buildings of England: London 4: North (1998), pp 553-4

Country Life, 150 (5 August 1971), pp 334-6; 159 (1 April 1976), pp 848-50

J S Curl, A Celebration of Death (1980), pp 224-7

Highgate Cemetery (FOHC 1978)

J H Lloyd, The History, Topography and Antiquities of Highgate (1888)

H Meller, London Cemeteries (1981), pp 147-64

J Murray, Highgate Cemetery, Victorian Valhalla (FOHC 1984)

Penny Magazine, (December 1839)

MAPS

Cruchley's New Plan of London and its Environs, 1835

John Rocque, Plan of the Cities of London and Westminster ..., 1744-6

OS 25" to 1 mile: 1st edition surveyed 1873; 2nd edition published 1894; 3rd edition published 1913

Archival items

Geary's original plan for the cemetery (Guildhall Library Manuscripts)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION

Highgate Cemetery is included on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest at Grade I for the following principal reasons:

* The cemetery is an early and important example of an early Victorian commercial cemetery (1839) laid out in the garden style.

* The site is the third metropolitan cemetery.

* The cemetery contains anoutstanding collection of funerary monuments which reflect the social and political history of Victorian London.

* The cemetery contains an outstanding collection of structures designed by Stephen Geary and, from 1839, by James Bunstone Bunning, both of whom were noted cemetery designers.

* The cemetery layout is complex and survives substantially intact.

Description written: November 1998

Edited: May 2000

Upgraded: 2009