Audrey niffenegger on highgate cemetery books books. Highgate cemetery is one of the most famous of all londons victorian cemeteries. The kind of undead that we are interested in, are said to live in their graves. Highgate cemetery victorian valhalla narrative by historian felix barker and photographed by john gay shows me what a truly phenomenal spot highgate is. Highgate cemetery, swains lane, london n6 victorian web. We found 9 books set in highgate cemetery and 21 others set nearby map. Overgrown and sprawling, the gothic victorian graveyard seemed the perfect setting for the strange and sinister events that would follow. The first part of the book contains two chapterslisted below which consists of 44 pages of text.
The poet john betjeman described highgate cemetery as a victorian valhalla, an apt description of this extensive park filled with exotic, twisted trees and tumbling, ivyclad tombstones. Highgate cemetery victorian valhalla by gay john barker. It is a place of peace and contemplation where a romantic profusion of trees, memorials and wildlife flourish. Victorian valhalla is sadly out of print but good second hand copies can be picked up online for less than a tenner. Victorian valhalla see under books taken in highgate before any of the restoration. Highgate cemetery, clinging to the southern slope of highgate hill, looks out across london to the epsom downs in the distance. If you wish to find out just why the old cemetery was closed, and why the friends of highgate cemetery who have done fantastic work, and deserve support are so sniffy about enqiries about vampires, may i suggest you read. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Book awards book club selections books by author books by series coming soon kids books new releases teens books this months biggest new releases. Of most imediate interest on elizabeth stegengas site. Highgate cemetery wikimili, the best wikipedia reader.
First established in 1839, its now the final resting place of about 170,000 bodies. Highgate cemetery was by then over 100 years old and had fallen into disrepair and decay. Felix barker, author of london from the air, on librarything. It was john gays photographs of highgate cemetery seen in a library hundreds of miles away that inspired vaughn entwistle to set his novel there. The first sightings of the figure came in the early 1960s.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. With all my trips to london, i am amazed that i have not visited this beautiful place. There are few burial places in london, or even the whole of britain, that are as famous and evocative as highgate cemetery. Gay spent a lot of time as a volunteer with the friends of highgate cemetery. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that.
But, above all, the book contains a unique pictorial record of its moods and its monuments caught over the last twenty years by john gay whose photographs superbly and evocatively convey the spirit of the place. The friends are advised by the highgate cemetery trust, which at the time of printing was made up of representatives from the national trust, the historic buildings council, the highgate society and the victorian society. The eastern part of the cemetery is accessible with or without a guided tour. The first period includes photographs used in the book highgate cemetery, victorian valhalla 1984. Established in the early years of queen victorias reign, the site is deservedly branded a victorian valhalla. The friends of highgate cemetery trust was set up in 1975 and acquired the freehold of both east and west cemeteries by 1981, since when they have had responsibility for the maintenance of the location. If youd like to hear about them first, why not join the friends of highgate cemetery, or sign up for our enewsletter. Its location on a hillside overlooking the towers of central london draws thousands of visitors, and the. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Highgate is londons famous cemetery its the one that most people think of first when victorian cemeteries are mentioned and its the most well known of the magnificent seven cemeteries that date from the early victorian period.
It is one of the great cemeteries of the world to those who know it. Explore highgate cemetery west, london, england video. Victorian valhalla by john gay, francis barker online at alibris uk. Victorian valhalla by barker, felix and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Books set in highgate cemetery, london, england, gb 9 books set in. This is only ironic to me, because three of the magnificent seven are reportedly haunted, and one of them is home to my most favourite vampire legend ever. Sufficient reason for us to also have a strong interest in churchyards, crypts, ossuaries, cemeteries, funeral customs, burial methods, etc. Nowhere captures better than highgate cemetery west the special atmosphere of the victorian cemetery. All books set in highgate cemetery on the global book map. Visits to the western side are possible but by guided tour only.
Subjects include significant buildings, street scenes, and highgate cemetery. In 1981 the owners pulled out and decided to sell the place for whatever they could get, because capitalism is a fucking. Opened in 1839, londons highgate cemetery was once a fashionable destination for the living and the dead. Highgate cemetery is included on the register of parks and gardens of special historic interest at grade i for the following principal reasons.
We found 9 books set in highgate cemetery and 21 others set nearby. Highgate cemetery london, england attractions lonely. Graveyards, catacombs and other travel haunts around the world by tom weil. Victorian valhalla the london historian felix barker tells fully and for the first time the story of this burial ground. Highgate and hampstead gay0103 archive series john. The rest of the book has marvelous black and white photographs. Victorian valhalla the london historian felix barker tells. His picture above i took on a walk that we made through highgate wood way back in 1992. Londons highgate cemetery and the curse of the highgate.
Victorian valhalla 1984, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Geoffrey munn will be known to anyone who has watched the antiques roadshow on bbc1 as, since joining in 1985, he is now the longestrunning jewellery expert on the team. Originally published in the uk in 1984 by john murray in conjunction with the friends of highgate cemetery, unusually for a book on a single london cemetery. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Books a guide to the worlds most intriguing cemeteries. The photographs of highgate cemetery cover two distinct periods. Highgate cemetery is in two halves east and west either side of swains lane, a steep, narrow, walled lane that makes you feel as if youve. Visiting highgate cemetery in london archaeology travel. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers.
Highgate cemetery has some of the finest funerary architecture in the country. By the end of the 1960s, highgate cemetery was choked with weeds, shadowed by a dense forest of ornamental trees, and colonized by wildlife from the heath that included foxes, hedgehogs, and rabbits. A gothic wonderland of shrouded urns, obelisks, broken columns, sleeping angels and egyptianstyle tombs, highgate is a victorian valhalla spread over 20 wonderfully wild and atmospheric hectares. The victorian splendour of highgates western cemetery. The lion is on the grave of a victorian menagerist, mr wombwell. The cemetery is an early and important example of an early victorian commercial cemetery 1839 laid out in the garden style. John gays gloomy photos of highgate cemetery inspire new. Victorian valhalla first edition by barker, felix isbn.
Over 170,000 people are buried in highgate cemetery in 53,000 graves. The most thorough account of the story is given by folklorist bill ellis in the journal folklore. Barkers description of highgate makes it sound as though it resembles a lively club. I was wandering the stacks of the university library when i happened to pick up a book entitled. The cemetery is a 10minute walk from archway tube station. Highgate 6 books kentish town 2 books hampstead heath 5. The highgate vampire was a media sensation surrounding reports of supposed supernatural activity at highgate cemetery in london in the 1970s. Without income to pay its army of gardeners, highgate cemetery was abandoned to nature. One of the key publications in cemetery studies highgate cemetery. In addition to the victorianera magnificent seven cemeteries highgate, kensal green, brompton, abney park, nunhead, norwood, and tower hamlets, meller pokes around the jewish cemeteries, the dissenters cemeteries, and pretty much any cemetery that still exists in london. Its a beautiful example of a gothic garden cemetery, but it wasnt until relatively late in its history that. Unsurprisingly, highgate has been the subject of many books for example it was the inspiration for.
This section concentrates on books about churchyards and cemeteries. Mystery, melancholia, and marx at highgate cemetery the. On the eastern side, you can pay your respects to the graves of karl marx and mary ann evans better. But highgate cemetery was a perfect place to write about. Pdf download highgate cemetery victorian valhalla pdf full ebook. Victorian valhalla by francis barker and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Highgate cemetery victorian valhalla john murray, london, uk, 1984 paul b. There have been further books on the cemetery, john swannells 2010 book of photographs published by hurtwood press and the friends for. A selection of other photographs from this series were included. Now after many years of neglect, the cemetery is being lovingly restored, the dense foliage cut back, nature brought under control and its treasures revealed.
1334 1246 1260 156 532 1571 748 461 133 469 750 302 1113 475 1428 1378 309 304 398 588 102 829 1576 1548 981 1290 291 723 1536 664 728 1198 1061 1042 147 89 1151 716 290 717 354 1182 799