Famous Graves & Highgate Cemetery
Includes Lunch & Tour Guide
When London's churchyards filled up, just as a young Queen Victoria came to the throne, a scheme was launched to build The Magnificent Seven - huge, modern cemeteries in a ring around the City. As soon as it opened in 1839 Highgate Cemetery in the Northern hills became THE place to be buried if you were rich or famous. Highgate would become one of the greatest cemeteries in the world full of eccentric funerary architecture. In the heart of the grounds the Egyptian Avenue leads to the Circle of Lebanon created by earth being excavated around an ancient Cedar of Lebanon. The cemetery fell into ruin for many years until in the 1970s The Friend of Highgate Cemetery was formed to buy the freehold - the tours are run to raise money to look after it. Nature has gradually taken over and this remarkable site is now also an important wild-life reserve.
Come and enjoy a two course lunch with a hot drink before meeting London's famous dead in this Victorian Valhalla. The restaurant is all ground floor and you will be dropped and collected from outside. We can cater for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and other dietary requirement when pre-ordered.
There will be a guided tour of the West Cemetery (the extraordinary side with all the gothic tombs), which lasts around 70 minutes. Some paths are steep and can be muddy and there are two flights of stairs so please do make your guests aware of this and advise participants to wear appropriate footwear. Enjoy a self guided visit to the East Cemetery (where Karl Marx is). This is on a gentler slope with no steps and predominantly tarmac paths and is more easily wheelchair accessible. There are loos at Highgate and a takeaway hot drinks stand.
Flat shoes are a must and please note that paths can get muddy. Visitors to the West cemetery (the famous side) should be aware that the paths are steep, and the tour route also includes two flights of stairs. This means that the tour really isn't suitable for anyone with a pronounced walking difficulty. The East cemetery is on a gentler slope with no steps and predominantly tarmac paths and is more easily wheelchair accessible.)