Visiting Holly Village, London’s Secret Gothic Neighborhood

A local’s guide to visiting Holly Village near Highgate Cemetery, a secret neighborhood with Gothic houses and sculptures to visit in North London!

Holly Village has been one of my favorite places in London ever since I first came across it, a couple of years ago.

I used to live in North Finchley and would often pop by Highgate on the bus; Highgate Cemetery, one of the most beautiful cemeteries in London, is located only minutes from Holly Village.

History and architecture lovers, or those who would just like to go on a soothing walk around London and discover unexpected spots, would do well to tread the Highgate area.

That’s where you’ll find this wonderful Victorian place, with its immaculate Gothic Revival angles and carvings – one of the most secret places in London.

Visiting Holly Village, London’s Secret Gothic Neighborhood

Holly Village is located on Swain’s Lane in Highgate, North London, really close to Highgate Cemetery and Hampstead Heath (in the latter, you’ll find the quaint Hampstead Pergola and Hill Gardens).

It’s easily accessible from Highgate station on the Northern Line, and Archway station, or you can take the bus to Holly Village as well.

There isn’t much to do there but admiring the sculpted roofs and entrances, and manors in the distance.

While you cannot enter without permission, since Holly Village is private property, you can still find the main entrance and enjoy the carvings and details there.

The Highgate area always feels like a village inside London – Holly Village feels like a village inside a village, a magical photo spot stuck in time.

Holly Village was completed in 1865 under the direction of Victorian architect Henry Astley Darbishire, and commissioned by Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, one of the wealthiest philanthropists and women of Britain at the time.

The architectural style is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival in London.

Around Holly Village, you’ll find pointed arches, ornate brick and stonework, lancet windows, along with gargoyle and animal motifs reflecting Burdett-Coutts’s love of animals (she indeed helped found the RSPCA).

Over the main entrance are carved the words: Holly Village erected by A. G. B. Coutts A.D. 1865

On each side of the arch are sculpted figures reprenseting Burdett-Coutts with her dog, and her companion Hannah Brown with a dove.

Tied to the larger Holly Lodge estate until the early 20th century, Holly Village was purchased by the tenants themselves in 1921 to ensure its continuity as a private residential area.

It is, since 1954, a Grade II-listed place, one of the many we are able to admire while walking around London.

Holly Village, North London Photo Gallery

Visiting Holly Village, London’s Secret Gothic Neighborhood

Holly Village is perfect to visit while taking a stroll on a romantic date, or with your backpack if you’re a digital nomad living in London for a bit.

I do love coming across historical sites I wasn’t yet aware of, and was utterly happy when I finally saw Holly Village with my own eyes, after years of seeing pics pop on Pinterest and the like.

When you’re done admiring the exterior of Holly Village, you’ll find nearby Highgate has lots to offer:

• Highgate Cemetery
• Hampstead Heath, with its view of London from Parliament Hill
• Highgate Village, with its winding lanes, historic buildings, tea rooms and independent cafes

If you’d like to discover other areas of London afterwards, though, here are some of my favorites:

• Muswell Hill, North London
• Camden Town, North London
• Liverpool Street, East London
• Spitalfields, East London
• Canary Wharf, East London