by Stephanie Chatfield
Highgate Cemetery Image Gallery
Highgate Cemetery, located in North London, is a historic and atmospheric burial ground renowned for its Victorian architecture and serene landscape. Established in 1839, it became one of the “Magnificent Seven” cemeteries in London, attracting visitors with its intricate tombs, mausoleums, and lush greenery.
The cemetery is divided into East and West sections, each featuring unique memorials and notable graves, including that of Karl Marx. George Eliot, Douglas Adams, and Sir Ian Holm.
Highgate Cemetery is not only a place of rest but also a site of historical significance, offering guided tours that explore its rich heritage, beautiful nature, and the stories of those interred within its walls.
With its Gothic structures and tranquil pathways, Highgate Cemetery serves as a poignant reminder of London’s past and is a peaceful retreat for reflection and exploration.
Obviously, of special interest to me is the Rossetti family plot, burial site of Elizabeth Siddal. Poet Christina Rossetti, her brother William Michael, and their mother Frances are also there.
In early October of 1869, Elizabeth Siddal was exhumed so that the manuscript of poems her husband had buried with her could be retrieved for publication. Highgate casts an ethereal spell under normal circumstances, so this task – carried out by the glow of lantern light and a small bonfire—must have felt otherworldly.
Visiting Lizzie’s grave inspired complex emotions. I paid tribute to a woman whose art and story have left a lasting impression on me. And as much as I’m disturbed by Rossetti’s exhumation, I can’t ignore the uncomfortable truth that it—and the haunting tales surrounding her—led me to discover her in the first place.
Still, beyond my own connection, I find comfort and hope in the steady stream of visitors Lizzie receives. It’s deeply moving to see how many people still care for her, how many continue to seek her out, striving to understand her and keep her memory alive.
Highgate Cemetery Image Gallery
Index of Adventures
- A Pre-Raphaelite Look at Hitchcock’s Vertigo
- Balancing on the Bridge
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Home
- From Tennyson to TikTok: Are We All Living the Lady of Shalott’s Curse?
- On Storms
- Paul McCartney, Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm
- Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
- Pre-Raphaelite Princess of Star Wars
- St. Pancras Old Church Gardens
- The Magic Down the Rabbit Hole
- The Wounded Dove
- Unconventional Beauty
- Westminster Abbey
- What Grows from Grief