Seven Magnificent Walks: Overview

Introduction

Highgate West Cemetery

When I moved to London, I got charmed by the organic growth of Highgate Cemetery. I only know cemeteries organised in dam patterns where there is no room for old graves or natural development. Walking past the old graves, you wonder about the stories behind them and what London life in the 19th century must have been like. As walking is my passion, I got inspired to create a walk connecting the Magnificent Seven Cemeteries.

The Magnificent Seven are seven beautiful Victorian landscaped cemeteries built between 1832 and 1840 to respond to the overcrowding of local parish cemeteries. The cemeteries are not only burial grounds but also beautiful hidden gardens, some of them are classified nature reserves.

The seven walks span a total of 82 kilometres or 51 miles and partially follow other trails such as the Capital Ring Walk and the New River Path. The walks are available via the MapMyRun tool on my blog or you can download the PDF on your phone, so you can access the routes even when offline.

The Magnificent Seven Part VII: Tower Hamlets to Nunhead Cemetery (14km or 9mi)

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyRun

Map and Directions (Download the PDF to your phone to access the map offline)

Introduction

Wapping

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 seventh and last 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.

The walk start at Tower Hamlets Cemetery and ends at Nunhead, following the Lea Navigation to Limehouse Basin and following the Thames Path across the Tower Bridge. Tower Hamlets Cemetery is a nature reserve, described as an ‘urban woodland’. Nunhead cemetery has its own charm, located on a hill it offers panoramic views of the city. Walk Westwards to the top of the hill to sit down and take in the view of St Paul’s Cathedral.