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The rooftops of Highgate, a leafy north London suburb, are visible through the ancient urban Highgate Wood.
The Heath embraces a series of ponds and is embroidered by ancient woodland. A 19th-century viaduct provides an interesting historical focus.
The area is defined by Highgate Village. Quintessentially Georgian in outlook with its collection of old-fashioned 18th-century townhouses and commercial premises, Highgate does indeed maintain the aura of an exclusive local enclave.
To wander Highgate Village is to discover historical gems like Holly Village, a group of 19th-century buildings on Swains Lane set in their own grounds. A fine example of a Victorian Gothic residential complex, Holly Village in one of London's most unusual visitor attractions.
Highgate is set at the northwestern corner of Hampstead Heath, just 7 km (4 mi) from the center of London.
One such example is The Gatehouse pub, mentioned in licensing records as far back as 1670. Poet Lord Byron (1788–1824) and writer Charles Dickens (1812–1870) apparently found the ales served here most agreeable.
Embellishing the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath is Kenwood House. Dating back to 1779, this stately residence of grand dimensions is open to the public and is worth exploring for the Old Masters decorating its walls, paintings that include rare works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Turner.
Another historical pub is The Spaniards Inn, located between Highgate and Hampstead. Built in 1585 as a tollgate and named after the Spanish ambassador to James I of England, it's rumored that notorious highwayman Richard Turpin was born here, which would make sense as his father was landlord in the early 1700s.
The most famous burial is arguably that of German socialist philosopher and economist Karl Marx. The tomb consists of a large bust of Marx in bronze set on a marble pedestal. Inscriptions on the front include the final words of 'The Communist Manifesto,' "Workers of all lands unite."
The tomb of English novelist George Eliot (1819-1880), pseudonym of Mary Ann Cross (née Evans) and author of 'The Mill on the Floss' (1860), 'Silas Marner' (1861), and 'Middlemarch' (1871–72), among other celebrated novels, is another much visited grave site.
Actor Sir Ralph Richardson, who with Sir John Gielgud and Sir Laurence Olivier was one of the three great Knights of British theater, is buried at Highgate.
George Michael's death in December 2016 provoked an outpouring of grief by his many fans around the world. His home in Highgate became an impromptu shrine, where tributes of flowers, photographs, and candles were left outside by members of the public.
British actor Jude Law made his home in Highgate Village fairly recently. He's seen here with his wife Phillipa Coan outside a café in February 2021.
The village's most high-profile celebrity resident of the modern era was George Michael, seen here leaving the Cote Brassiere restaurant in August 2013.
Waterflow Park meanwhile is a wonderfully tranquil green space crisscrossed by meandering footpaths that offer fine views across the distant City of London.
Here's the same pub, 138 years later. The building still retains the livery yard to the right, where riders would leave their horses before nipping inside. And what's that blue plaque on the facade?
George Michael was buried in Highgate Cemetery. Pictured is his grave site. The cemetery is one of London's most famous, and dates back to 1839. It quickly gained a reputation as one of the most fashionable places for burials, and many noted individuals have been laid to rest here. Indeed, George Michael is in good company.
The grave of esteemed English scientist Michael Faraday, inventor of the electric generator and the electric motor, is found at Highgate.
In fact, Highgate has become rather a star-studded neighborhood for A-listers, people like English model Kate Moss, pictured here out shopping.
Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is another resident celebrity frequently sighted on Highgate's tidy streets, on this occasion in February 2013.
One of Highgate's most cherished watering holes, and indeed one of London's most iconic pubs, is the Angel Inn. It's pictured here in 1874.
Interested in buying a property in Highgate? You'll need deep pockets. Highgate is one of the most expensive— and exclusive—London suburbs in which to live. Average house prices run into the many millions, often outstripping areas such as Chelsea, in central London.
Sources: (Visit London) (Londonist) (My London)
See also: Spectacular celebrity penthouse apartments you'll never be able to afford
The church, consecrated in 1832, features a magnificent interior stained glass window. The principal attraction, however, is the slate slab above the crypt where 19th-century poet, philosopher, and theologian Samuel Taylor Coleridge is interned.
Another English singer from an earlier age, Lulu is pictured in June 1971 on her way from her home in Highgate to Heathrow Airport for a flight to Las Vegas.
Highgate's skyline is unmistakable for the landmark spire of St Michael's Church, the highest church in Greater London.
Another historic attraction worth a diversion is Lauderdale House in Waterflow Park. This timber-framed late 16th-century property was one of the first country houses to be built in Highgate. It's now a thriving arts and education center.
Exuding an air of serenity and sophistication, Highgate Village center comprises upscale shops and boutiques, some excellent restaurants, and plenty of pubs, many of them famous watering holes.
Graham Chapman of Monty Python fame was just one of the many celebrities who have made Highgate Village their home. The Angel Inn was his favorite diversion, and the plaque honors the comedian's frequent visits. It reads in part: "Graham Chapman, a 'very naughty boy,' drank here often and copiously."
Highgate is one of the most expensive London neighborhoods in which to reside. It's also one of the most fashionable celebrity enclaves in the United Kingdom. Celebrated for its Georgian-era architecture and impressive Gothic cemetery full of famous dead, this quiet, leafy suburb maintains the aura of an exclusive village, and yet it lies almost within walking distance of the capital's busy and cosmopolitan heart.
Click through and get the lowdown on Highgate.
The London village that is Highgate
Discover the capital's exclusive celebrity enclave
TRAVEL England
Highgate is one of the most expensive London neighborhoods in which to reside. It's also one of the most fashionable celebrity enclaves in the United Kingdom. Celebrated for its Georgian-era architecture and impressive Gothic cemetery full of famous dead, this quiet, leafy suburb maintains the aura of an exclusive village, and yet it lies almost within walking distance of the capital's busy and cosmopolitan heart.
Click through and get the lowdown on Highgate.