Line Walks London: The Magnificent Seven Part IV: Kensal Green to Highgate Cemetery (14km or 8.7mi)

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyRun

Download PDF With Map and Directions

Introduction

Highgate West Cemetery

The Magnificent Seven are seven beautiful landscaped cemeteries built between 1832 and 1840 to respond to the overcrowded local parish cemeteries and to move the associated health hazards further away from the city centre. The cemeteries are not only burial grounds but also beautiful gardens, some of them are classified as nature reserves.

This walk is the fourth in a series of seven magnificent walks, connecting the magnificent seven cemeteries. For an overview of the seven walks, highlights an tips, please visit the overview page.

This walk starts at Kensal Green Cemetery and ends at Highgate Cemetery. The walk mainly follows the tow paths of Paddington Branch and Regent’s Canal and diverts to Primrose Hill and Hampstead just before passing the London Zoo on Regent’s Canal. I really enjoyed walking through Hampstead. Just like Highgate and Muswell Hill, it feels like being out of the city, in a cosy little town.

Highgate West Cemetery is only accessible via a guided tour but it is the most beautiful of them all and definitely worth a visit. If you gather around the gate at the hour, a guide will be waiting for you to take you on a one hour tour for around £7. The next walk, Highgate to Abney Park is considerably shorter (9km or 5.6mi) and should give you enough time to visit the West Cemetery before the walk. Those who would like to admire the grave of Karl Marx, need to head to Highgate East Cemetery, accessible for an entrance fee of £3.

Getting There

Start:

Kensal Green Station: Bakerloo Line or Overground

Transport along the way:

West Bourne Park (Hammersmith & City and Circle Line)

Belsize Park or Hampstead Underground Station (Northern Line)

End:

bus 210 to Lauderdale House/Waterlow Park

or about 1mi walk towards Highgate Underground Station (Northern Line)

Map and Directions (Download PDF)

Kensal Green Cemetery: The most interesting person in Kensal Green to me is Charles Blondin (1824-1987), the tightrope walker. He crossed the Niagara Gorge (US-Canadian Border) on a tightrope several times, once on stilts, once with a man on his back and once cooking an omelette in the middle of the walk. He later moved to London to perform as an acrobat in Crystal Palace. An unfortunate accident during a performance in Dublin led to the collapse of the scaffolding, holding the tightrope, and killing two of his workers. Blondin was sent to court but wasn’t prosecuted and a year later Blondin returned to Dublin to perform. His grave can be found just behind the main Anglican Chapel on Central Avenue when coming from the East main entrance.