The Cutting Catacombs in Highgate (Western) Cemetery is a Grade II listed building in the Camden local planning authority area, England. First listed on 14 May 1974. Mausoleum.
The Cutting Catacombs in Highgate (Western) Cemetery
- WRENN ID
- silent-rood-acorn
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Camden
- Constituency
- Hampstead and Highgate MP: Tulip Siddiq (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 14 May 1974
- Type
- Mausoleum
- Address
- The Cutting Catacombs in Highgate (Western) Cemetery, Swain's Lane, London, N6 6PJ
- OS grid reference
- TQ 284 870
- Coordinates
- 51.56795, -0.14775
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Cutting Catacombs in Highgate (Western) Cemetery is a row of 15 individual mausolea, built in the mid-19th century. They are constructed from yellow brick with a stucco render. Each mausoleum is a rectangular cell topped with a pediment that features a lunette and matching overdoors. The cells are occupied by various families, including John (1844), States, Allen, Greatorex, Anon, Hawkes, Farmer (1861), Baxter, and several others. The mausoleum of Jeremiah Greatorex has a projecting cornice, relief angles, and an inscription, while the tomb of Sir Benjamin Hawkes retains its cast-iron door adorned with torcheres, wreath, and hourglass motifs. This group of memorials is of interest as it is formally planned and conceptually related to the Egyptian Avenue nearby. Several of the mausolea were noted to be dilapidated during an inspection in 1994. The Greatorex family tomb was listed on 14 May 1974.
Local climate
The Cutting Catacombs in Highgate (Western) Cemetery sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 680 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 99% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 99% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 29 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 66% of listed buildings. Of these, 13 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
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- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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Nearby listed buildings
- Tomb of Frank Holl and family in Highgate (Western) Cemetery
- Tomb of Samuel Lucas and Margaret Bright Lucas in Highgate (Western) Cemetery
- Tomb of Alfred Robert Freebairn in Highgate (Western) Cemetery
- Tomb of Charles Green Spencer in Highgate (Western) Cemetery
- Tomb of Michael Faraday in Highgate (Western) Cemetery
- Monument to Henry Gray
- Monument to Stephen Geary
- Tomb of John Wells and family in Highgate (Western) Cemetery
- Tomb of Charles Cruft in Highgate (Western) Cemetery
- Tomb of Thomas Charles Druce in Highgate (Western) Cemetery