|
Grave Care And Grave Maintenance At
London's Highgate Cemetery - The Resting Place of Karl
Marx
By Francis G. Murphy
One of the best known cemeteries in the world has to be
Highate Cemetery in north London. This amazing place was
created in 1839 as part of the Magnificent Seven which
was the name given to seven new major cemeteries to be
built in a ring around the outskirts of the city. The
fact was that land for burials within the city was
becoming more and more scarce and society had become to
understand that it was not healthy to have mass graves
within such populated areas. With most graveyards
attached to churches full to capacity an alternative had
to be found.
Grave maintenance at Highgate cemetery was originally
carried out in the main by the local councils of Camden,
Highgate and Islington. They ensured that the graveyard
was properly looked after and kept in pristine
condition. Grave care services were also carried out by
families of the deceased. Once the word started to get
around about the new graveyard in Highgate it began to
become very popular not just for burials but also as a
place to visit.
The Victorian society in London appreciated the open
spaces of the capital and Highgate was not exception. As
more and more people of note were buried there the
Victorians began to compete with each other to see who
could build the most lavish burial places and memorials
for their lately deceased relatives. The Gothic style
was very much favoured and most of the original
buildings are still standing today.
Situated next to Waterlow park the graveyard is just a
short distance down Highgate Hill and is in the main
south facing. When looking to extend the cemetery the
local council went eastwards, this area was open forest
lands with masses of overgrowth and trees. This natural
style was maintained and even today the land has masses
of trees and shrubs which add both to its mystique and
charm. Wildlife abounds with masses of birds, foxes and
untold species of wildflowers. With no great care taken
with a view to planning people were able to build tombs
in almost any shape and not necessarily free standing
with many of the built into the hillside itself.
As a necessary precaution the area that holds some the
most impressive Victorian memorials is no longer open
every day to the general public however guided tours are
offered and are extremely popular. One to the most
popular areas is the Circle of Lebanon and the Egyptian
Avenue in which paths wind and wend their way
haphazardly past some amazing tombs, vaults and
gravestones.
There is no doubt the most visited grave in the cemetery
is that of Karl Marx who died in 1883. Marx had a
massive influence over the subject of social science and
the Marxist movement was named after him. More recent
additions to the cemetery include Farzad Bazoft who was
so cruelly killed by the evil regime of Sadam Hussein.
Actors and entertainers such as Max Wall and Sir Ralph
Richardson are also laid to rest within this remarkable
graveyard.
Grave maintenance is now the responsibility of the
Friends of Highgate cemetery and it is thanks to their
efforts and grave tending services that this remarkable
area exists in such good condition today. Grave care
services in so many graveyards are now so poor that they
are falling badly into disrepair. Thankfully this seems
not to be the case with Highgate. |
