Hardcore Goth part three: Highgate Cemetery

On March 14, I travelled with my creative writers to the first of two spots in London meant to inspire a nature poem or two. Highgate Cemetery is one of the "Magnificent Seven" private garden cemeteries in London built to address a 19th century crisis in which London's churchyards were becoming overcrowded. If you are into goth gardening, this place will definitely inspire your new May plans, if not a poem. 

We actually paid a little more to get the tour given by a volunteer guide...recommended. It's gorgeous and haunting to look at on your own, and after the tour many of us hung around to take a look at both the East and West cemeteries. Highgate is located in Camden near the lovely Waterlow Park, so it is a bit of a jaunt north, but well worth it. The tour is definitely worth the extra pounds, because not only does it point out whose graves you might be looking at, you are actually allowed to enter the catacombs and look around, which are normally locked. It's cold and dark and wonderfully creepy in there (hardcore goth!) 

This is a view from inside the catacombs...yes there are still people entombed here. It was dark enough for flashlights...delightful. Below see the entryway to the large mausoleum near the center of the West cemetery.

In addition, you can visit the final resting places of Karl Marx, George Eliot and Malcolm McClaren, the family of Charles Dickens, and Christina Rossetti among others. The tour guide will point out some lesser known graves as well and tell their stories, in addition to pointing out the challenges of keeping cemeteries like this one beautiful. 

Here lies George Eliot (the novelist.)

Here see me standing next to the final resting place of Karl Marx...workers unite!

Here lies a man whose name escapes me, but he kept menageries, hence the sleepy lion. There were a lot of animals represented, including the dog of Tom Sayers, a famous prize fighter.

Below see the Rossetti grave, which was off the beaten path, but if you love "Goblin Market" as much as I do, you appreciate the tour for pointing her and her family out.

In March, there were plenty of pretty flowers, especially those sweet daffodils. I expect in April and May it would look even lovelier. The cemetery is a haven for lots of wildlife, and the quiet serenity made it ideal for listening to the birdies, too, especially the British magpies, which were my favorite. Would definitely revisit this, though I think I would spend some more time in Camden Town afterwards, which is a good neighborhood for food and drinking.

Graves are damaged in various ways over time...including WWII bombs, which is what broke this crypt.

Tree growth is what makes the cemetery pretty, but also damages graves.

Notes for teachers:

There was some initial whining about the cost of the tour from students, which is £15, but in the end, students were pleased with the tour and enjoyed the visit. Furthermore, the natural beauty combined with the context makes this a great spot for creative writing activity. Besides, some important creative writers and/or their families are buried here. If you are teaching Christina Rossetti, who wrote her share of gothic stuff, definitely a place to go. With the tour in particular, I think there are possibilities for learning in Women Writers, Victorian studies, and 19th century literature. It's also a good spot for botany and landscape design. 

Possible assignment ideas:

If I were to bring a creative writing class here again, I would assign a poem about death. Students don't like writing about death, but too bad. You can't be a poet and not confront death.  I would add the constraint that they must use some aspect of the cemetery...images definitely, but potentially its meandering structure, and even text that appears on some of the stones.