The Highgate Vampire

A Gothic cemetery, reports of a supernatural entity, and rival vampire hunters who became as notorious as the creature they sought.

Highgate Cemetery

One of London’s most atmospheric locations:

• Opened in 1839
• Victorian Gothic architecture
• Overgrown and atmospheric
• Egyptian Avenue and Circle of Lebanon
• Home to Karl Marx’s grave
• By the 1960s, falling into disrepair

The First Reports

In the late 1960s, reports began:

• A tall, dark figure seen among the graves
• Witnesses felt paralyzed
• Red or hypnotic eyes
• It seemed to glide rather than walk
• Animals found drained of blood
• An atmosphere of evil

The Witnesses

Multiple people reported encounters:

• A woman saw a tall figure with glowing eyes
• A man was thrown to the ground by unseen force
• Witnesses reported being “hypnotized” by its gaze
• Several felt inexplicable dread near the catacombs
• Dead foxes were found with puncture wounds

The Vampire Hunters

Sean Manchester

Self-proclaimed vampire hunter:

• Claimed the entity was a medieval vampire
• Brought from Wallachia (Transylvania region)
• Performed exorcisms at the cemetery
• Claimed to have staked the vampire in 1970
• Later claimed to destroy it completely

David Farrant

Rival investigator:

• Described the entity differently
• Possibly a ghost or psychic manifestation
• Not literally a vampire
• Conducted his own investigations
• The two men became bitter enemies

The Mass Vampire Hunt

On March 13, 1970:

• Television covered the “vampire hunt”
• Hundreds of people descended on Highgate
• Armed with stakes and garlic
• They climbed walls and broke into tombs
• Vandalism became a major problem
• Some graves were desecrated

The Aftermath

The hysteria had consequences:

• Farrant was arrested in the cemetery with a crucifix and stake
• He was later convicted of damaging tombs
• The cemetery suffered significant vandalism
• Bodies were disturbed and scattered
• The Gothic atmosphere attracted occultists

The Entity

What did witnesses actually see?

• The descriptions vary widely
• Some say a dark ghost
• Others a physical being
• Possibly multiple phenomena conflated
• The cemetery’s atmosphere encouraged sightings

The Feud

Manchester and Farrant’s rivalry became legendary:

• Decades of accusations and counter-accusations
• Legal disputes
• Books attacking each other
• Both claimed to be the true authority
• The feud outlasted the vampire itself

Highgate Today

The cemetery is now:

• Carefully maintained
• Open for tours
• Still wonderfully atmospheric
• Vampire sightings have ceased
• But its reputation endures
• One of London’s Gothic treasures

The Truth?

Possible explanations:

• Mass hysteria in a spooky location
• Actual paranormal entity
• Misidentified animals or people
• Suggestion and expectation
• The power of a perfect setting

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Something stalked Highgate Cemetery in the late 1960s. Whether vampire, ghost, or mass delusion, it spawned hunts, hysteria, and legends that persist today.