London: Hidden Places Worth Visiting

by: PhilHamilton
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Word Count: 692

When you consider the fact that the metropolis of Greater London is the largest in Europe and that it covers an area in excess of 1600 sq km you will not be too surprised to learn of the multitude of world famous tourist attractions that are to be found there. Amongst the most widely known landmarks and tourist attractions are the relatively new London Eye and London Zoo and the many historical buildings such as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. However London has much more to offer than first meets the eye and, with a little investigation, you will be able to uncover a number of fascinating hidden places well worth visiting if you are in the city.

If you enjoy your city tours which include the not so well known places of interest then a visit to the wonderful Highgate Cemetery may be of interest. Highgate is an incredible example of a Victorian cemetery with all of the bold Victorian statements of mausoleums, vaults, catacombs, obelisks and statues, with most of the 37 acres now rather overgrown and well aged. One or two of the graves are slightly more modern such as the powerful bust of Karl Marx.

When Karl Marx died in 1883 (he moved to London in 1849) he was buried in the simple family plot at Highgate Cemetery. However the Communist Party of Great Britain felt that something more befitting for the "Father of Communism" should be put in place and in 1954 they commissioned the amazing monument and bust we see today. Sadly the decision had not been unanimous and many felt that, considering his teachings, it was rather grotesque and some, in 1970, went as far as trying to blow it up.

The grave of Karl Marx is not the only celebrity grave to be found at Highgate Cemetery as there are many other famous folk from the past buried there. Included in the long list of famous graves are those of Tom Sayers, Sir Leslie Stephen, Dr S.Birch, John Lobb, Christina Rossetti, J. W. Cross, C. H. Newton, George Eliot and many, many more. You will also find the family of Charles Dickens at Highgate along with the graves of 6 Lord Mayors of London.

Due to the rapid increases in the population of London during the Victorian period the disposal of the dead became something of a problem. In response seven cemeteries were created which are known as the "Magnificent Seven" due to their typical Victorian design and over indulgence which can be seen in the many public buildings which remain today. Of the seven graveyards the one at Highgate is the most decorated and it is considered the finest.

Highgate very quickly became the burial place of choice for influential Victorians who happily spent huge sums of money on their grave monuments or burial places. To meet this demand specially designed areas were created and one of the most iincredible is known as the Egyptian Avenue which has a most outstanding entrance and leads onto the famous Circle of Lebanon. The Circle of Lebanon gets its name from the fact that the mausoleums are arranged in two circles around a central Lebanon cedar tree.

Of course these two examples are the most famous and there are plenty of other incredible sights to be seen within the grounds. Walking around the heavily overgrown areas you suddenly find yourself facing amazing examples of memorial sculptures such as weeping angels. One of the most fantastic graves is that of James Selby. Selby was well known for his skills as a coachman and for holding the record for the London to Brighton round trip.

If you really do want to know more about the grave of James Selby I would suggest you search online as I have chosen not to describe it in this article because I feel that describing it in full will destroy the impact and wonder if you visit it yourself. I am sure that if you do find it you will fully appreciate my decision to omit it and also understand why I made a point of highlighting it - it really is something special.

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