Then there’s Christina Rossetti, the poet who gave us haunting verses about goblins and death. You can practically hear her whispering rhymes through the ivy. And for a real Victorian thrill, look for the tomb of William Wyler—no, not the film director, but a man whose family vault is famously haunted by a headless specter. Spooky, right? But also kind of a great dinner party story.
And let’s not forget the most glamorous resident of all: Malcolm McLaren, the punk impresario who managed the Sex Pistols. His epitaph is famously cheeky: “Better a spectacular failure than a benign success.” That’s the Highgate energy in a nutshell—defiant, artistic, and a little bit cheeky.
The incredibly famous people who are buried at Highgate Cemetery - My
The Animal Kingdom (Yes, Really)
It’s not just humans! Highgate is also the final resting place for a beloved cat named Tommy, who lived in the cemetery for years and became a local celebrity. Imagine being famous enough to be buried alongside Marx and Eliot just because you were a very good feline. That’s peak London quirkiness.
And here’s a little secret: many of the graves are so overgrown with ferns, moss, and wildflowers that it feels like a secret garden invented by a goth fairy. The nature has absolutely taken over, making death look oddly lush and inviting.
