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Introduction
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| 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.
