Monument to Marthe Josephine Besson is a Grade II listed building in the Camden local planning authority area, England. First listed on 22 December 2011. Monument.

Monument to Marthe Josephine Besson

WRENN ID
solitary-clay-lake
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Camden
Constituency
Hampstead and Highgate MP: Tulip Siddiq (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
22 December 2011
Type
Monument
Address
Monument to Marthe Josephine Besson, Highgate (East) Cemetery, Swains Lane, Greater London, N6 6PJ
OS grid reference
TQ 286 869
Coordinates
51.56634, -0.14455
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Monument to Marthe Josephine Besson is a large chest tomb made of pink granite, elevated on a tall base. It features pilasters at the corners and sides. Atop the chest is a full-size marble sculpture of a reclining female figure dressed in Classical attire, leaning on a draped tablet that has an oval plaque. An inscription on the side of the chest reads: "In loving memory of Marthe Josephine Besson, daughter of Gustave Besson of Paris and London and beloved wife of Adolphe Fontaine. Died 15th Sept 1908, aged 56 years. Her great talents and untiring energy gained the praise of the foremost masters in the musical world." An additional inscription on the base identifies the maker as "A. MacDonald & Co. Ltd., Euston Road, N.W."

Local climate

Monument to Marthe Josephine Besson 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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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Tomb of George Eliot in Highgate (Eastern) Cemetery Grade II 26 m
  2. Tomb of George Holyoake in Highgate (Eastern) Cemetery Grade II 40 m
  3. Tomb of Herbert Spencer in Highgate (Eastern) Cemetery Grade II 40 m
  4. Tomb of Karl Marx and Family in Highgate (Eastern) Cemetry Grade I 48 m
  5. Monument to Leslie Stephen in Highgate (Eastern) Cemetery Grade II 92 m
  6. Mausoleum of Lord Dalziel of Wooler in Highgate (Eastern) Cemetery Grade II 117 m
  7. Tomb of William Friese Greene in Highgate (Eastern) Cemetery Grade II 131 m
  8. 81, Swains Lane Grade II* 154 m
  9. Lodge at Swains Lane Entrance and Attached Railings, Piers and Gates Grade II 165 m
  10. Lodge at east entrance to Highgate (Western) Cemetery Grade II 165 m