Events

We run all sorts of events throughout the year. If you'd like to hear about them first, why not join the Friends of Highgate Cemetery, or sign up for our e-newsletter? Subscribe

One Day Stonemasonry Course

Saturday 2 September 2017 £95Book now

Cemetery stonemason Neil Luxton leads a day's course on basic stonemasonry techniques.

Starting with a tour around some of the West Cemetery's monuments to see some notable examples of stonemasonry, Having supplied you with a stone slab and tools, Neil will help you with your design. You will then be taken through the techniques you need to be able to carve your design into the stone, and off you go... Throughout the afternoon, Neil will keep a close eye on your progress, giving advice and showing you exactly what you should be doing. You will end up with a carving you can take home.

BATS IN THE CEMETERY: EVENING BAT WALK with Huma Pearce

Saturday 2 September 2017 £12 general admission, £10 volunteersBook now

Our ever-popular annual Bat Walk will start with an introductory talk in the chapel, before heading off into the West Cemetery to search for the elusive bats under Huma Pearce's expert guidance.
Please note that this is a weather-permitting event: rain on the day makes the bats stay indoors.

MAKING AN EXIT. A talk by Sarah Murray

Thursday 14 September 2017 £7Book now

When author and journalist Sarah Murray’s father died, his last request prompted Sarah to explore how – across centuries and cultures – we commemorate our end.
Using colourful images from around the world, Sarah’s talk will introduce the astonishing variety and beauty with which humans celebrate their dead. As part of her research, she even went to Ghana to commission her own fantasy coffin.
Sarah’s exploration took her on a series of remarkable journeys around the world. But this was a very personal quest: for in her travels, she was also seeking inspiration for her own eventual send-off.

Doors open at 7pm

VICTORIANS UNDONE. A talk by Kathryn Hughes

Thursday 21 September 2017 £7Book now

We tend to think of the Victorians as cut off from their bodies, keen to hide troublesome flesh under crinolines and fancy waistcoats. But, as Kathryn Hughes reveals in this fascinating illustrated talk, our great great great grandparents were as obsessed with their physical selves as today’s Selfie Generation. Come along to discover what Darwin really thought about his beard and why George Eliot was proud that her right hand was bigger than her left.
Kathryn Hughes is the prize-winning biographer of Mrs Beeton and George Eliot. She is a literary critic for the Guardian newspaper and Professor of Life Writing at the University of East Anglia.

Doors open 7pm

A FIZZING EVENING! Barratt’s Sherbet Fountain and other stories

Thursday 26 October 2017 £7Book now

A TALK CURATED BY STEVEN JOSEPH, Chairman of Tangerine
The Sherbet Fountain must rank as one of the iconic sweets of the 20th Century. Sir Albert Barratt is buried in Highgate Cemetery and was chairman of the family company for many years. A confectionery historian from the current owners of the Barratt brand, Tangerine Confectionery, will give a talk - with samples, of course - about the development of confectionery, famous brands and our love for them, in what promises to be a really fun and entertaining evening.
Anyone who has struggled with the licorice end of the fountain (and who hasn’t?) will be fascinated to hear all about it, along with the story of confectionery, the Victorians’ increasing love of sweets, and the development of famous brands.

Doors open at 7pm

Reflect and Remember: East Cemetery Late Opening - All Saints’ Evening

Wednesday 1 November 2017 £4Book now

All Saints' Day is for the general commemoration of those who have gone before us. Many grave-owners at Highgate Cemetery already place candles on their grave around this date and this late opening will provide a wider opportunity for reflection and remembrance.

THE FINAL PORTRAIT: Death Masks and Funerary Masks. A talk by Nick Reynolds

Thursday 23 November 2017 £7Book now

With two iconic death masks in Highgate Cemetery East (his father, Great Train Robbery mastermind Bruce Reynolds, and Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren), Nick Reynolds is one of the most renowned sculptors in the field.
The extraordinary story behind making the death mask of John Joe ‘Ash’ Amador, the 402nd person to be executed in Texas since the reintroduction of the death penalty in 1982, is worthy of an evening in itself.
This talk is a rare opportunity to learn about this fascinating subject, enlivened by Nick’s highly entertaining anecdotes. The whole process and approach will be described in detail, and lavishly illustrated. Nick will also be showing a film of him making a mask.
Nick is also well-known as the harmonica player in Alabama 3, who are famous for Woke Up This Morning, the theme to The Sopranos. His previous life included an education in Mexico, while his father was on the run, and serving in the Navy as a diver in the Falklands War.

http://www.memorialcasts.co.uk

Doors open at 7.00pm

FESTIVE WREATH MAKING

Saturday 25 November 2017 £25Book now

All materials will be provided on this practical afternoon course, taken by Rachel Toler from Highgate Flowers and you will go home with an amazing festive wreath for your front door.

THE VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS. A talk by Judith Flanders

Thursday 14 December 2017 £7Book now

Bestselling author and acclaimed social historian Judith Flanders (author of The Victorian City and The Victorian Home, among many other titles) will bring The Victorian Christmas to life in this seasonal talk.
With her new book, Christmas: A Biography, hot off the press, Judith will take us on an extensive tour of the historical context of Christmas and many of the festive traditions that we celebrate today, with an emphasis on their explosion during Queen Victoria’s long reign.
An absolute must-see for anyone interested in social history and the Victorian era in general.

Doors open at 7.00pm

Opening times

Open daily except Christmas day and Boxing day. Different opening arrangements apply to the East and West. The hours below are those for March to October.

East Cemetery

The East Cemetery is where Karl Marx is buried. Visitors may roam freely on this side, but there is an entrance charge.

Monday to Friday: 10am to 5pm last admission 4.30pm
Weekends and public holidays: 11am to 5pm last admission 4.30pm

We may close for short periods to facilitate funerals. In addition, for your safety, strong winds or icy weather may occasionally require us to close the cemetery to visitors.

Admission: £4 adults, children under 18 and Members free. School groups £1 per child.

Find out more about the East Cemetery including our occasional tours.

West Cemetery

Admission to the West Cemetery is by guided tour only. For further information and to book, see the 'Tours' section at Visit > West Cemetery

Planning ahead?

From March to October inclusive the East Cemetery closes at 5pm, with last admission at 4.30pm, and at weekends the last West tour of the day leaves at 4pm. From November to February inclusive the East Cemetery closes at 4pm, with last admission at 3.30pm, and at weekends the last West tour of the day leaves at 3pm.

How to get here

Our address is Highgate Cemetery, Swain’s Lane, London N6 6PJ

Download our handy map

By tube

ARCHWAY tube, High Barnet branch, Northern line. (Don’t go to Highgate tube – it's a much longer walk!). Take the Highgate Hill exit. Then either take a bus (210,143, 271) two stops to Waterlow Park or walk up Highgate Hill. It’s then a very pleasant five minute stroll through Waterlow Park to our gates.

The tube system is often affected by engineering works and station closures. Please check your journey in advance at www.tfl.gov.uk.

By bus

C2 stops at Parliament Hill Fields. C11 stops at Brookfield Park. Buses 143, 210 and 271 stop at Waterlow Park on Highgate Hill.

By road

There is no off-street visitor parking. Parking restrictions are in place on the surrounding streets between 10am and 12 noon Monday to Friday. After those times and at weekends, on-street parking is free.

Note that there is no access to Swain’s Lane from the north.

Bicycle

There is a bicycle rack outside the West Cemetery gates.

Contact us

Email info@highgatecemetery.org

To find out whether someone is buried here, go to Searches

Telephone enquiries

Monday to Friday
General enquiries 020 8340 1834
Burials, memorials, grave ownership 020 8347 2471
Filming or photography requests 020 8347 2472
Group visits 020 8347 2475
Volunteering 020 8347 2474

You should know...

The cemetery can get muddy underfoot, so do wear sensible shoes.

Photography

Still photography of graves is allowed for personal use only. We don't allow the cemetery to be used as a backdrop for unrelated subjects such as fashion shoots. No video. You can use a tripod, but not on tours.

Animals

No animals are permitted with the exception of assistance dogs.

Accessibility

Visitors to the West cemetery should be aware that the paths are steep, and the tour route also includes two flights of stairs. The East cemetery is on a gentler slope with no steps and predominantly tarmac paths and is more easily wheelchair accessible. A small amount of disabled parking is available outside the cemetery’s entrance on Swain’s Lane. There is a disabled toilet in the West Cemetery. For further information, please contact the office in advance of your visit.

More rules

You can download a full set of our rules here.

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