ARCHWAY Northern line (High Barnet)
Waterlow Park and Highgate Cemetery

Walk up Highgate Hill, past the Whittington Hospital. The small statue of a cat along the way marks the spot where Dick Whittington is supposed to have 'turned again' (The huge building on the right as you exit the Tube is part of the Archway University connected to the hospital.) You will soon come to the sixteenth century Lauderdale House (now an arts and education centre) whose grounds form Waterlow Park. It was left to the public in 1889 by Sir Sidney Waterlow as a 'garden for the gardenless'. Here you will find peaceful walks and lakes surrounded by beautiful trees.

Going through the park you eventually get to the historic Highgate Cemetery where many famous people are buried, including Karl Marx. The cemetery, in two parts, was created in 1839 (West) and extended in 1854 (East). Neglect over the years resulted in the growth of much natural woodland which is gradually being brought under control by volunteers - indeed the site is now a Grade II* listed park, though large parts of it, visible through railings in Swain Lane, are still creepily unkempt.The East Cemetery is open daily for a small charge, the older West one only at weekends (guided tour). However, it is as well to contact the Friends (link above) before turning up since they tell me they sometimes have more visitors than they can cope with. Incidentally, posting photographs on websites is strongly discouraged.



At the end of the cemetery where Swains Lane bends, you will see at the corner of Chester Road the remarkable Holly Village. (scroll down the British History Online page).This gothic fantasy was built by the philanthropist and banking heiress Angela Burdett-Coutts (a most interesting life) in 1865. (not 1845 as stated in B.H.Online) The ten ornate 'cottages' grouped round a green were designed to be a decorative feature of the Burdett-Coutts estate and were originaly intended for a 'superior' kind of working person. Inevitably such enchanting dwellings were soon occupied by those higher up in the social scale.

To get back to Archway Tube walk up Chester Road, past the handsome Hampstead Library, go straight ahead into Raydon Street, then left for a dog-leg crossing into Magdala St. There you will see the other side of the enormous hospital. First there are the rather daunting Victorian buildings in stock brick, then the distinctly more user-friendly 1990’s extension. At the top of the street, turn right for the station (about ten minutes from Swains Lane).

MAP

This is just one walk from the many to be found at London Tube Rambles. There are architectural gems, beautiful country views, historic places and whacky buildings to be found, even in the most unpromising areas covered by the Greater London Underground stations. Usually the places listed are within a mile of the Tube - often only five minutes walk away. If you reached this as an individual page via a search engine, you might like to go to www.londontuberambles.co.uk to see the other destinations explored . You'll be amazed at what's out there!

©DR2008