Tomb of Thomas Charles Druce in Highgate (Western) Cemetery is a Grade II listed building in the Camden local planning authority area, England. First listed on 14 May 1974. Tomb.

Tomb of Thomas Charles Druce in Highgate (Western) Cemetery

WRENN ID
inner-roof-gorse
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Camden
Constituency
Hampstead and Highgate MP: Tulip Siddiq (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
14 May 1974
Type
Tomb
Address
Tomb of Thomas Charles Druce in Highgate (Western) Cemetery, Swain's Lane, London, N6 6PJ
OS grid reference
TQ 284 870
Coordinates
51.56809, -0.14874
Source
Historic England listing

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

Description

The tomb of Thomas Charles Druce is located in Highgate (Western) Cemetery and dates from around 1864. It features a pedestal made of marble, which has an enriched capital and is topped with a draped urn.

Historically, Thomas Charles Druce was a furniture dealer based in Baker Street. In 1896, his daughter-in-law claimed that he was actually William John Cavendish Bentinck-Scott, the fifth Duke of Portland, who was known for being a recluse and allegedly living a double life. In 1907, the grave was opened to investigate claims that Druce's funeral had been a sham, with a coffin filled with lead weights. The investigation confirmed that the coffin contained Druce, leading to the indictment of three witnesses for perjury.

Local climate

Tomb of Thomas Charles Druce 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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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Tomb of Charles Cruft in Highgate (Western) Cemetery Grade II 18 m
  2. Cory-Wright Mausoleum Grade II 22 m
  3. Tomb of Elizabeth Whalley in Highgate (Western) Cemetery Grade II 23 m
  4. Tomb of Alfred Robert Freebairn in Highgate (Western) Cemetery Grade II 27 m
  5. Monument to Stephen Geary Grade II 28 m
  6. Monument to John Galsworthy in Highgate (Western) Cemetery Grade II 29 m
  7. Monument to Samuel Sanders Teulon in Highgate (Western) Cemetery Grade II 33 m
  8. Monument to Henry Gray Grade II 34 m
  9. Monument to Charles Oppenheim in Highgate (Western) Cemetery Grade II 43 m
  10. Tomb of Joseph Edwards in Highgate (Western) Cemetery Grade II 43 m