Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery in north London is one of the city’s most atmospheric and historic burial grounds, celebrated for its striking Gothic architecture, famous residents, and overgrown, otherworldly charm. Spread across the East and West Cemeteries, it is the final resting place of approximately 170,000 people in around 53,000 graves.

Notable figures buried here include Karl Marx, George Eliot, and Douglas Adams, among others. But Highgate’s allure goes beyond its residents—its ivy-draped tombs and crumbling catacombs have made it a favorite filming location for movies and TV shows. It has appeared in films such as Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), Tales from the Crypt (1972), and more recently Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), lending its haunting beauty to stories both eerie and fantastical.

Highgate is also a designated Grade I site on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens and part of London’s “Magnificent Seven” cemeteries—grand Victorian-era burial grounds established to address overcrowding in 19th-century churchyards. Today, it also serves as a de facto nature reserve, with untamed greenery and wildlife weaving through the monuments.

With its winding pathways, cinematic atmosphere, and layers of cultural history, Highgate Cemetery is a must-visit for history lovers, architecture fans, and film buffs alike.