If you are looking for some alternative things to do in London, visit the Highgate Cemetery in North London. The cemetery is said to have some of the finest funerary architecture in the country and is a must-see of lovers of the history of London. The Highgate Cemetery opened in 1839 and was the authorities’ response to London’s growing population. Before being buried in official cemeteries, graveyards and burial grounds were scattered throughout the city wherever was space. Often this meant that bodies were buried between taverns, shops and houses.

In early 1800 London’s population had grown to around one million which caused an ever increasing lack of burial space. By 1830 health reasons caused the authorities to find a solution and to create space for the dead. Subsequently a number of private cemeteries were opened in the countryside around London. Overlooking London, the location of the Highgate Cemetery and its distinct architecture attracted investments of wealthy individuals. The first person buried in Highgate Cemetery was Elizabeth Jackson, a 36 year old spinster of Golden Square in Soho on 26 May 1839.

In 1854 the eastern part of the cemetery was opened. There are now more than 170,000 people buried in 53,000 graves. The most notable person buried in the Highgate Cemetery is probably Karl Marx. Both, the West and the East Cemetery can be visited.

East Cemetery

The East Cemetery can be visited daily for an admission fee of £4 for adults. The East Cemetery is home to Karl Marx’s grave which you cannot miss due to its large size.

West Cemetery

Admission to the Highgate West Cemetery is by guided tour only. Don’t leave Highgate Cemetery without having visited the West Cemetery which is home to the most impressive architecture of the Highgate Cemetery. The tour lasts around 70min and is £12 for adults. Tours run several times per day. Check out Highgate Cemetery’s homepage for more information.  I love this part of the cemetery as it has some really spooky atmosphere. Too bad you can only visit by guided tour. Would be the ideal location for telling scary ghost stories :)

Some Architectural Beauty in North London..

On the way to Highgate Cemetery you will come across this beautiful building just on the corner of Chester Road and Swain’s Lane. Beautiful North London :)

Museum of London

London Things To Do: The Museum of London

One of my favourite museums in London is the Museum of London. It’s certainly not one of the top 5 museums that you have to visit when you visit London for the first time but can be safely placed into the 2nd tier of top London museums.

The Museum of London – as the name suggests – displays the history of London starting from the first settlements to today’s London as we know it. Walking through the different epochs of the museum, you will learn how London looked like during the Roman Empire and how the city was affected by the Great Fire and the Black Death.

Whilst every major epoch is displayed vividly, one of the my favourite parts of the museum is the Victorian Walk. The Victorian Walk shows a small part of London ‘rebuilt’ as it may have looked like during Victorian times. Here you can visit an old Victorian pub, look into a bakery, barber, tailor, toy shop, a pub and so much more. . I really love that part of the Museym as with just a bit of imagination you feel like you are set back in time :)

 

DSC09367

Muesum of London

Muesum of London

 

Muesum of London

Muesum of London

Muesum of London

Muesum of London

 

DSC09394

DSC09410

DSC09405

The museum is located in the City, London’s financial district and in walking distance from St. Paul’s Cathedrale. Hence both attractions can be combined on one day. Afterwards you walk along the Thames and even head over to London bridge and Tower Bridge which are around 30mins walk from St. Paul’s. If you start early in the morning with the Muesum of London you may even have time to schedule a visit to the Tower later in the afternoon.

 

DSC09434

DSC09430  DSC09416