Hidden London: Places Worth Visiting
July 18th, 2008 by Phil Hamilton, under Vacation Destinations. No Comments
With the city of Greater London being the largest city in Europe it is little wonder that you will find an incredible number of fascinating tourist attractions. Some, such as Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, are amongst the most well known landmarks in the world but if you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary then London has a few hidden surprises.
If you enjoy your city tours which include the not so well known places of interest then a visit to the wonderful Highgate Cemetery may be of interest. Highgate is an incredible example of a Victorian cemetery with all of the bold Victorian statements of mausoleums, vaults, catacombs, obelisks and statues, with most of the 37 acres now rather overgrown and well aged. One or two of the graves are slightly more modern such as the powerful bust of Karl Marx.
Karl Marx, the “Father of Communism”, had moved to London in 1849 and lived there until he died in 1883. Originally he had been buried in a rather ordinary family grave but the Communist Party of Great Britain felt something more monumental was required for such an incredibly influential person and they commissioned the creation of a fine bust of Marx which was put in place in 1954. Unfortunately the change was not met with universal delight as expected as many felt that it went against his teaching and, in 1970, there was an actual attempt to destroy it by blowing it up.
The grave of Karl Marx is not the only celebrity grave to be found at Highgate Cemetery as there are many other famous folk from the past buried there. Included in the long list of famous graves are those of Tom Sayers, Sir Leslie Stephen, Dr S.Birch, John Lobb, Christina Rossetti, J. W. Cross, C. H. Newton, George Eliot and many, many more. You will also find the family of Charles Dickens at Highgate along with the graves of 6 Lord Mayors of London.
By the middle of the nineteenth century London found itself in desperate need of more graveyards. It was decided that seven cemeteries would be created and due to the Victorian habit of incorporating many of the influences of the British Empire into the buildings, they quickly became well known and highly regarded. The new cemeteries became known as the “Magnificent Seven” with Highate being the most incredible.
Successful Victorians liked to display their wealth and success even in death. One of the most amazing parts of Highgate Cemetery is the area which includes the much photographed Egyptian Avenue and Circle of Lebanon, both of which contain numerous mausoleums. Once through the Egyptian Avenue you arrive at the Circle of Lebanon which is two circles of mausoleums arranged around an ancient Lebanon cedar tree.
One of the most exciting aspects of exploring Highgate is suddenly seeing an incredible statue appear amongst the overgrown bushes and vines. Throughout the cemetery there are many examples of the most incredible memorial sculptures which include representations of the usual religious subjects and even family pets. Of special note is the grave of the famous coachman James Selby which is well worth searching for.
You may think that I have forgotten to tell you exactly what to expect at the grave of James Selby but I have purposely avoided a full description as I feel that it is actually so spectacular that you really need to see it with your own eyes. If I tell you too much it will spoil the impact, let’s compare it to telling somebody the ending of a movie before they watch it.
