Highgate Cemetery has enchanted visitors since it opened in 1839. Its sometimes overgrown character and ramshackle monuments convey a strong sense of its history. But the monuments are under now threat from long-term decay and maturing self-seeded trees. The trees themselves are increasingly stressed by climate change and afflicted by new pests and diseases. More extreme weather is eroding gravel paths and overwhelming the historic drainage systems. All this is undermining the historic landscape design and reducing biodiversity. Added to concerns related to sustainability and the climate emergency, it is clear that the Cemetery needs to find a way to adapt to the new demands of the twenty-first century.

This talk will look at four shortlisted entries in Highgate Cemetery’s ‘landscape masterplan’ competition. This will mark a step away from the ‘managed neglect’ of the last forty years to a programme of more active management to ensure that its special attraction is maintained. What are the new challenges the Cemetery faces and how do four leading landscape design practices think they can be overcome?

 Our speaker, historian and conservationist Dr Ian Dungavell, is Chief Executive of the Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust, the charity which runs the Cemetery.

This talk will be via Zoom (CHS members will be advised of the link by our email invitation).