# Highgate cemetery - best visiting times



## sim667 (Oct 1, 2011)

Just been looking at the website, I see they have tours of the west and east cemetery. Is it possible to go without doing a tour?I want to take photos and don't want to keep being rushed on by a tour guide.

Also the west cemetery is available only by tour at certain times, is it worth holding out just for that tour?


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## magneze (Oct 1, 2011)

You don't have to do a tour. It's nice just to wander about.


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## trashpony (Oct 1, 2011)

You have to do a tour of one of them don't you? You can't go in except with a guide I thought


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## magneze (Oct 1, 2011)

Last time we went we just wandered around. Maybe it's changed since then.


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## Mapped (Oct 1, 2011)

For the West side I thought it was strictly tours only. 'Managed neglect' and all that. For the East side, where Karl Marx etc. are, you can wander round on your own.

The best time to go is on a misty day to get that real horror film atmosphere 

And I'd highly recommend the tour. There's some bonkers Victorian behaviour on evidence in that place.


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## Bungle73 (Oct 1, 2011)

N1 Buoy said:


> For the West side I thought it was strictly tours only. 'Managed neglect' and all that. For the East side, where Karl Marx etc. are, you can wander round on your own.


That is correct.

There is a book I have called "London's Cemeteries: Spend the day with Marc Bolan, Karl Marx, Enid Blyton, Keith Moon, Sigmun Freud and many more" which has details of all the cemeteries in London and tells you where the interesting are in interred for some of them.


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## netbob (Oct 2, 2011)

Me and Nipsla went there yesterday:

West side (the side with lots of listed stuff) is tour only and costs about £13
East side (the one with Marx in) is £3 entry, but you can also do a tour


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## magneze (Oct 2, 2011)

Ah, we must have done the East side 'cos Marx was the one we stumbled across.


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## trashpony (Oct 2, 2011)

memespring said:


> Me and Nipsla went there yesterday:
> 
> West side (the side with lots of listed stuff) is tour only and costs about £13
> East side (the one with Marx in) is £3 entry, but you can also do a tour


 Blimey - when I went, they were both free (with voluntary donations for the West side). That's a bit bloody steep


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## Bungle73 (Oct 2, 2011)

According to their website both Cemetery tours are £7 each for an adult.


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## Mapped (Oct 2, 2011)

I'm definitely going on a trip there when it gets more Autumnal. I've not been there for about 10 years, when I left my flat that overlooked it. The west side is very good. Apparently they're always having to turn down offers from film makers wanting to use it as the set for a horror film.


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## sim667 (Oct 2, 2011)

So if I go its definitely worth doing the tour?

I really wanna do some HDR photos there.


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## Mapped (Oct 2, 2011)

Yes!

The East side is neatly laid out and manicured grave stones and monuments with some historical celeb moments. The fact that they are letting the West side fall apart slowly gives it a really special atmosphere. Careful about what you shoot though, there were bones visible in certain parts when I went last and I don't think they like you taking photos of them. You don't get this good stuff in the East side (random images off a google image search)












I was in my final year at uni when I lived next door and going there a few times inspired me to do a study on the geography of death in Victorian London


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## trashpony (Oct 2, 2011)

sim667 said:


> So if I go its definitely worth doing the tour?
> 
> I really wanna do some HDR photos there.


The tour is fab. It's pretty slow - you get around 45 mins inside - so you could have a good amount of time to do photos (not knowing how many lights/tripods etc you would want).

It might also be worth contacting Friends of Highgate Cemetery to see if you could organise a time for you to go in with a guide but not on a tour iyswim. If you're not a pro photographer, they might let you for £20-30


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## sim667 (Oct 3, 2011)

I think im gonna go along do the tour of the west, and then do the east on me own, and see if its worth me trying to organise some better access after that.

Might go up next saturday


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## colacubes (Oct 3, 2011)

When you do the East they give you a map pointing out famous graves.  Worth keeping your eyes open though as it's not quite up to date and we spotted Malcolm McClaren's headstone in there.  The Patrick Caulfield headstone is amazing, and there's lot's of weird and wonderful bits around Douglas Adams' grave (loads of biros and a mini vogon on top of it ).


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## blossie33 (Oct 3, 2011)

Hope no one from Urban was responsible for the damage to Karl Marx grave a few days ago 

Its definitely worth paying for the tour of the west cemetery (as has been said, you can't visit otherwise anyway). I enjoyed the catacombs.

I've been in the east cemetery a few times, I used to live quite near and I always enjoy a wander on my own, especially off the main tracks. I love the overgrown parts. I collected a bag full of damsons which had dropped off some trees one time which must have paid me back more than I paid to go in 

When I first visited about 11 years ago you were not allowed to go in if you were 'unsuitably' dressed e.g in a vest tshirt. The tops of your arms had to be covered, as a mark of respect I think. You could borrow a shawl or scarf if necessary but this doesn't seem to apply anymore.


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## Thimble Queen (Oct 11, 2011)

Might be good thing do around Halloween weekend, A spooky walk type thing followed by some north london pintage.


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## sim667 (Oct 11, 2011)

MrsDarlingsKiss said:


> Might be good thing do around Halloween weekend, A spooky walk type thing followed by some north london pintage.


North london pintage on me own might be a bit shit.

But not a bad idea for halloween at all!


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## 100% masahiko (Oct 11, 2011)

I last went in 4 years ago, daytime - weekday , around 12-ish.
Was pretty and quiet, very surreal walking about. But it wasn't as gothic and tranquil as expected.
Didn't go on my own and it had real good time. I remember it so clearly still...
May do it again alone someday.


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## Mapped (Oct 11, 2011)

sim667 said:


> North london pintage on me own might be a bit shit.
> 
> But not a bad idea for halloween at all!



I might pop up there that weekend. Mrs N1 is off to her parents and I've a big black hole in my calendar. I'm barred for life from the nearest pub to that place though


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## Thimble Queen (Oct 11, 2011)

Maybe if some more Urbans are up for it an outing can be arranged....


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## Mapped (Oct 11, 2011)

Maybe


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## sim667 (Oct 11, 2011)

I could be tempted by an urban spooky highgate get together....... Early in the morning is difficult for me as I live out by gatwick though.


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## Mapped (Oct 11, 2011)

Early in the morning is difficult for me as I'm a lazy bastard


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## Mapped (Oct 11, 2011)

It's open between 11 and 4:30 on Saturdays East is £7 or £5 if you have a student card

http://www.highgate-cemetery.org/index.php/home


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## sim667 (Oct 11, 2011)

Oh tbh, 11 would be ok for me, I'd just have to no go to bed at 5 am saturday morning for once.


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## Mapped (Oct 11, 2011)

Cool. I've done far too many late Friday night mashups recently. This will give me a bit of structure for a more chilled weekend 

If this happens it will be the first time I've arranged and met anyone off t'internets. I'm slightly worried


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## sim667 (Oct 11, 2011)

I've only met a couple of people...... its not scary.


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## Mapped (Oct 11, 2011)

I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm generally fairly sociable, but that's normally in the evening after a few pints. 11am in a grave yard is a slightly different proposition


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## Mapped (Oct 12, 2011)

I think I may have recruited another person for this. My younger cuzz is a cool chap and a pro photographer doing some very cool stuff indeed. I suggested he'd like it and told him to leave his fashion models at home. He looked at the thread and is very keen.

although he had this comment:



> haha on paper this is so wrong
> come and meet up with some guys off the internet at a cemetery on Halloween


I told him to come over here and join and introduce himself first. If he doesn't do that he ain't coming 

So that looks like we have Three or four? We going to do this then?


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## sim667 (Oct 14, 2011)

Im going to have to let you know, I was reminded this morning I meant to be going to the LDN borough of bass halloween rave on the 29th....


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## Mapped (Oct 16, 2011)

.


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## Yelkcub (Sep 8, 2013)

colacubes said:


> When you do the East they give you a map pointing out famous graves.  Worth keeping your eyes open though as it's not quite up to date and we spotted Malcolm McClaren's headstone in there.  The Patrick Caulfield headstone is amazing, and there's lot's of weird and wonderful bits around Douglas Adams' grave (loads of biros and a mini vogon on top of it ).


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## Yelkcub (Sep 8, 2013)

Was there today. Some wag has graffiti'd 'no future' on McClaren's'


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## Yelkcub (Sep 8, 2013)




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