Highgate

OMG! what an amazing place! but not so easy to find!
Ethie, Cleo and I met Charlii at Euston station, following her knee appointment, and travelled by tube to Archway, came out of the station expecting to see big cemetery gates just up the road, but no chance! apparently it was just 10 minutes away - up the huge hill!
At this point we caught a bus (as Charlii's knee was not good following the appointment). As we got off the bus a nice chap said to go 'through the park, and it is right in front of you'
Really? after more time wandering round and across the soggy park we eventually found the gate, and right next door was the gate to the cemetery.
It is truly amazing! We were only able to visit Highgate cemetery EAST as Highgate cemetery WEST is visit by guided tour only, and these have to be booked in advance on line :-( Iwill definatly be doing that next time!!
It was so interesting, gravestones all packed really close together, falling over and coloured with lichen, interspersed with trees so it looks really like a forest full of gravestones. The monuments were just so interesting, and some were literally huge! I have a thing about stone angels, and there were plenty here, as well as crosses with swags of stone ivy, passion flowers, lilies and lily of the valley.
off the main path were, secret little paths through the forest lined with kerb stones, all higgledy piggledy and covered in strands of artistically placed ivy.
Although it was very Gothic and extremely atmospheric it was neither spooky nor oppressive, a fab place and one I plan to visit again in the autumn.
I have so many shots I could have used today, but in the end I have chosen this shot of one of the beautiful Angels holding a cross, symbolic of resurrection in a sea of gravestones, this was not by the path, but back under the trees, such beauty for those who choose to seek it out.
I took the shot in mono, because I feel it is much more effective than colour in this instance.
On the way back we visited the Tower of London and it's poppy moat, but that is a blip for another day.