My husband and I visited Highgate Cemetary yesterday and I can say, unreservedly, that it is a a fantastic experience. You can only visit the western part of the cemetary with a guide - and rightly so. The place is vast, full of trees, flowers and bushes, the ground is uneven - and the legacy incalculable. I have read some of the negative reviews about Highgate and frankly am astonished. Of course you shouldn't be able to wander round the West cemetary at will. Furthermore, the payment of £12 is worth every penny and only goes on upkeep. There are over 50,000 graves here. It's full of irreplaceable history. Our guide was an extremely knowledgeable and engaging ex-teacher called Peter ( a volunteer) and he told us marvellous stories about the people under and behind the stones. The Egyptian area is particularly fascinating. And the catacombs are scary!The tour is over an hour long and the ticket includes entry to the East cemetary , too, a place that you can visit without a guide . We took lots of photographs and nobody objected, including one of the grave of Karl Marx.I highly recommend it.

Highgate is made up of 2 parts; East - can wander around for a small fee and the West - only accessible if on an escorted tour only. Can not prebook the escorted tours at the weekends and sadly, on this occasion, all the tours were sold out so we visited the East. It does seem quite odd to meander around a graveyard but it's touching, interesting and sad, sometimes all at the same time. Sonny Anderson's lego topped and Patrick Caulfield's 'dead' just made me take a step back and think about mortality and Douglas Adams (Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy writer) had a very small and plain headstone almost hidden but visible due to a lovely array of pens proudly protruding from a pot just placed in front. Your visit may remain with you for some time.

I vIsited for about the 4th time in 25 years and there is always something new to learn, whether it’s new sites uncovered, wildlife or different architecture. The tours vary in content depending on the volunteer guide but are always informative. I recommend booking tours in advance, especially as the Friends of Highgate rarely run tours of the newer side of the cemetery now. You get so much more out of the visit if you book a guide. Clean toilets are available but by the nature of the site, this is not good for anyone with mobility problems. There are great pubs further up the hill if you need a break - and the steep hills will help you burn off excess calories.