For a full history of Highgate  British History online is not to be surpassed, or Genuki has an extract from the 1868 Gazetteer.

Highgate is about 350 feet above the level of the Thames, or twenty-five feet higher than Hampstead Heath, so the views are spectacular. London is spread out below you in all its glory. It still retains a lot of its old architecture, so it's a very, very pretty place. Terry Gilliam's (of Monty Python fame) glass box of a house, seen from the road through the gates of the original house, is set behind a grove of small birch trees and although cutting edge modern, it does not seem to jar with the old houses around it.

Lauderdale House was built about 1582 for Sir Richard Martin, three times Lord Mayor of London. It was supposed to have been let to Nell Gwynn, Charles II's  mistress, for a short time who lived there with her infant son, the Duke of St Albans. There is a story that because the King had not conferred a title on their son, one day she held the child out of an upper window and threatened to drop him unless the King did something for him. 'Stop, Nelly; save the Earl of Burford!', he is supposed to have replied. Afterwards the boy was created Duke of St. Albans.

Lauderdale House was last owned by Sydney Waterlow who donated the 26 acre gardens to the public as a "garden for the gardenless". It is very steeply sloped, and the view over London is spectacular. The house is now open to the public.

Highgate Cemetery (opened 1839) is famous for having Karl Marx as one of it's residents, amongst other things. He is in the newer, eastern part of the cemetery. The older, western part is the more interesting and has been designated a place of outstanding historic and architectural interest. The section called the Egyptian Way and the Lebanon Circle Catacombs are Grade I listed buildings, and the whole cemetery a Grade II listed park. The atmosphere is compelling and was put to good use by Hammer Horror films in the 1960s.

Paintings by Lindy Newman

Churches

All Saints' Church & Mission House, Church Road
St Anne's West Hill, Highgate Rise (c. 1860s) 
St Anne's Mission Room Raydon Street

   (photo by Camden Council)

St Augustine's, Archway Road
St Benet & All Saints Mission Room, Dartmouth Park Hill
St Mary, Brookfield, Dartmouth Park Hill
 

St Michael's, South Grove (1832)

St Peter's, Langdon Road, Dartmouth Park Hill
Highate Baptist, Southwood Lane
Congregational Chapel, Junction Road, Upper Holloway
Congregational Chapel South Grove, Highgate (1839) (Now Highgate United Reformed Church)

Church of our Lady, Fortess Road, Kentish Town
 

Convent of La Sainte Union des Sacres Coeurs, Highgate Road. Now a girls' school. Grade II Listed Building 

St Joseph's Retreat, Upper Whittington Place, Highgate Hill
Archway Road Wesleyan, Archway Road
 

Schools

All Saint's Highgate Middle Class School, 25 Northwood Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Board School, Burghley Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Board School, Blenheim Place (in 1885-6 directory)
Board School, Langdon Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Boys Public Day School Co Ltd, Fortess Road - 1885-6 directory

Edward Bucknell school,  Junction Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Miss Burtt Ladies' school, Hargrave Park Road - 1885-6 directory
Chetwynd College for Girls, Chetwynd Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Mdme Josephine Copin School, Cromwell Avenue (in 1885-6 directory)
Miss Daniels' School, Spencer Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Miss Fowler's Middle Class School, Northwood Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Otto Funke school, Hargrave Park Road - 1885-6 directory
Mrs Gallatly, ladies' school, The Grove - 1885-6 directory
Miss Garman preparatory school, West Hill (in 1885-6 directory)
H P Giles Boys' School, Highgate Road (in 1885-6 directory)
George Cave - preparatory school for the sons of Gentlemen, Gloucester House, North Road - 1885-6 directory
Mrs James Mills ladies' school, Ingestre Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Miss Murray ladies school, Langdon Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Joseph B Harrison preparatory school, Fortess Road - 1885-6 directory
Sawley House Preparatory and Boarding School, Northwood Road (in 1885-6 directory)
Mdme Sumon ladies' school, Brookfield Villas, Highgate Rise - (in 1885-6 directory)
Miss Sutton Collegiate School, Cathcart Hill (in 1885-6 directory)
Miss Turner, Archway Road, High Class School for Girls (in 1885-6 directory)
Mrs Williamson (Little Boys Day School), Ireton House, 9 The Bank, Highgate (in 1885-6 directory)
High School for Girls, High Street  - 1885-6 directory
Highgate Board Schools, North Hill
Highgate National Schools, North Road
St Aloysius School, Hornsey Lane (in 1885-6 directory)
St Ann's National Schools, Brookfield, Highgate New Town
St Johns' Park House ladies'  School, Highgate Road (in 1885-6 directory)
St Joseph's Catholic Schools, Upper Whittington Place, Highgate Hill
St Peter's Middle Class School for Girls, Brunswick Road - (in 1885-6 directory)
Sir Roger Cholmeley's School, North Road (founded 1565)
St. Michael's National school, Highgate (1833)
Highgate British school  (1852)
Grove House School, Highgate (in 1885-6 directory)
High School for Girls, High Street, Highgate (in 1885-6 directory)
Whittington College, Archway Road, Archway Road (in 1885-6 directory)

Names on the 1914-1918 War memorial outside the Congregational Chapel

C Leonard Miller
Henry Morley
Kenneth H Pearse
Alan Plaistowe
Richard H Plaistowe
Joseph Selbie
Reuben Wallis
John Woodward
James Dawbarn Young
Edward E Grimwade
A Geoffrey Groser
Arthur J Harradine
Herbert Heavingham
Frank Hocking DCM
Alan Hopkins
Charles C Lock
J Dennis MacFadyen MC
Cyril Maddox
Reginald Andrews
Alfred Barnett
Arthur E Barrett
George W Budd
Wilfred G Carr
Wolfred R Cloutman
Arthur Gildersleeves
Ernest Gildersleeves
William Gildersleeves

Benevolent Institutions

Holborn Union Infirmary, Archway Road
Hospital for Sick Children, Cromwell House, High Street -- Hargrave Park Road - 1885-6 directory
Girls' Friendly Society, 2 Southwood Terrace
London Diocesan Penitentiary, North Hill
Miss Giniver's Infants' Orphan Home, 8 Tremlett Grove
Society for Organising Charitable Relief and Repressing Mendicity, 120 Highgate Hill
Sir Richard Whittington's College, Archway Road

Volunteer Corps

3rd Middlesex D Company, Head Quarters, Northbook Hall

Pubs

Angel Inn, High Street - 1885-6 directory  David Bond.
The Archway Tavern, Archway Road. 1885-6 directory - Mrs C Wass.
The Bell & Horns, North Road - 1885-6 directory J Phillips
The Birkbeck Tavern, Archway Road.  1885-6 directory - William Atkins
The Bull & Last, Highgate Road - 1885-6 directory Charles Thomas Bevan
The Brookfield Tavern, Dartmouth Park Hill. 1885-6 directory John Etheridge
The Brunswick, Brunswick Road - 1885-6 directory Walter John Woodwell
The Cooper's Arms, High Street - 1885-6 directory Mrs Emma Lupton
The Dartmouth Arms, York Rise - 1885-6 directory Robert William Dyer
The Dukes' Head, High Street - 1885-6 directory  Mrs M A Belton
The Duke of St Alban's, Highgate Road - 1885-6 directory William Maskall

The Flask, Highgate West Hill.   1885-6 directory Wm John Wooder. One of the oldest inns in Highgate.

The Fox & Crown, West Hill - 1885-6 directory Mrs Emma West. The landlord of this pub rendered assistance to Queen Victoria when the wheel came off her carriage in 1837. The landlord was then allowed to show the Royal Coat of Arms. Demolished in 1896.
The Gate House Hotel - 1885-6 directory Mrs Eliza Folkes. Rebuilt in early 1930s.
The Green Dragon, North Road - 1885-6 directory Mrs M Clark
The Junction Arms, Junction Road - 1885-6 directory Henry Howson
The Lion Tavern, Junction Road - 1885-6 directory Isaac Simpson
The Lord Palmerston, Dartmouth Park Hill - 1885-6 directory John Beveridge
The Old Crown, Blenheim Place -  1885-6 directory Mrs C Griffiths. 1902 directory - ditto.
The Red Lion, North Road 1885-6 directory E J Norris
The Red Lion & Sun - 1885-6 directory Arthur Sylvester. An 1887 photo shows Mr A Silvester as still being the lanrdlord.
The Rose & Crown, High Street - 1885-6 directory Chas K Maishman
St John's Tavern, Junction Road - 1885-6 directory James John Winter
The Prince of Denmark, Junction Road - 1885-6 directory Chas Albt Hartlnad
The Tallyho, Fortess Road - 1885-6 directory Thomas Lovelock
The Totness Castle, Chester Road - 1885-6 directory T J Boalch
The Vine, Highgate Road -  1871 census Richard Meek. 1885-6 directory Fredk Preece

The Wellington, Beaconsfield Terrace. 1871 directory - S Graddage. 1885-6 directory - S Graddage.
The Whittington & Cat, Highate Hill - 1885-6 directory Alexander Shaw
The Whittington Stone, Highgate Hill - 1885-6 directory William Law
The Woodman, Archway Road 1885-6 directory Charles Ramsway.
The Wrestlers' Tavern, North Road 1885-6 directory Charles Taylor

The British Library Newspaper Library at Colindale has the following issues of the Hampstead & Highgate Express available for research:

20 Jan. 1872-22 Feb., 7 June 1873; 21 March-12 Sept., 28 Nov. 1874-4 Nov.1994.