A Visit to Highgate Cemetery

The main purpose of my visit to Highgate Cemetery was to visit the grave of my Great Great Grandmother Ellen Roberts, the subject of my previous post. There is a fee of £40 for The Friends of Highgate Cemetery to search their records, locate the grave and provide an escort to where it can be found. I received a letter setting out the results of their searches.

I then made arrangements to be taken to the grave in the East Cemetery (saving the normal £4 entrance fee for adults) last Thursday and at the same time booked a tour of the West Cemetery in the afternoon. You are only allowed in the West Cemetery on a tour.

I was very lucky with the weather, it was sunny all day but not too warm. I found it difficult to know where to park as all the advice on the internet was that parking was prohibited between the hours of 10 am and 12 noon. As I was aiming to arrive around 11 am, I thought there might be parking meters somewhere. I just didn't expect five  such spaces (with only one taken) to be right outside the cemetery where I could pay £2 to see me through to free parking after midday.

It had only been an hours drive so I was early for my appointment at noon. However the lady who was to take me to the grave was free and we made our way to the location using the free map of the East Cemetery.

 We started off on the main footpath (the line coloured purple above) and took the fork to our right heading downhill.

After an approximately a 3 minute walk, turn right on a small path just before these monuments. This guide is for future reference and for anyone wanting to visit the grave.

About 32 paces up this small path look right.

The monument right at the back is the grave of Ellen Roberts and her son John Shearwood Roberts. You have to clamber over some other graves in the wilderness to get there.

Once we arrived, the lady left me to take some photos. The grave itself is covered in ivy, but the monument is in reasonable condition.

There are inscriptions on the plinths.

At the top it says "In Ever Loving Memory of" then the next "ELLEN ROBERTS Born August 1834 Died May 1914  Of Eternal Life  ....  In Sure and Certain Hope of the Resurrection". The bottom plinth says "Also JOHN SHEARWOOD ROBERTS Son of the above Born 12 May 1857 Died 15 February 1921. A Considerate and Affectionate Son ???????? and Devoted and Generous and Faithful".

The inscriptions are in metal and some have fallen off. While I was writing down the words, there was another visitor to the grave.

As I had arrived early, I had plenty of time to wander around the East Cemetery. The most obvious point of interest is the impressive grave and monument to Karl Marx.

I had plenty of time for lunch as the tour of the West Cemetery didn't start until 1.45pm. I noticed on the map that next door to the East Cemetery entrance is Waterlow Park, somewhere I had never heard of. This is a gem.

The park is laid out on the hillside and one of the most attractive places I have ever seen. Absolutely stunning.

It even has views across to the city with lots of benches to take in the sights.

There were sixteen of us on the West Cemetery Tour.

Lots of interesting information from Gordon, the tour leader and some fascinating tombs to discover.

There are lots more on my web album or on the Highgate Cemetery website. A thoroughly worthwhile day.