London – Around Town : Heading North (part 1)

by

Beyond Regent’s Park and the railway termini
of Euston, King’s Cross and St Pancras, North London drifts up into
areas that were once distant villages where the rich built their country
mansions to escape the city. Many of these houses remain and several
are open for the public to wander around and imagine a bygone age. Parts
of their extensive grounds now make up the wild and lofty expanse of
Hampstead Heath. Some of the “villages”, such as Hampstead and Highgate,
are still distinct from the urban sprawl that surrounds them. Home to
the wealthy, cultured and famous, their attractive streets are full of
well-preserved architecture as well as dozens of inviting pubs and
restaurants. Other parts of North London have different flavours,
however – from bustling Camden, with its canal-side market, lively pubs
and clubs, to fashionable Islington, with its clothes and antique shops,
good restaurants, smart cafés and bars.


Hampstead Wells

Hampstead’s heyday began in the early 18th
century, when a spring in Well Walk was recognized as having medicinal
properties. This brought Londoners flocking to take the waters in the
Pump Room within the Great Room in Well Walk, which also housed an
Assembly Room for dances and concerts. The spa gradually fell into
disrepute, but Hampstead retained its fashionable status.




Site of the well on Well Walk, Hampstead




Sights

  1. Camden Markets

    The
    most exciting North London markets are open every weekend, and linked
    by the busy and colourful Camden High Street. Camden Market, near the
    tube station, is packed with stalls selling clothes, shoes and
    jewellery. Further up the road, by the canal, Camden Lock Market focuses
    on crafts and ethnic goods. Stalls in the warehouses of Stables Market
    have great food on sale. Open weekends only between 8am and 6pm .

    • Camden High Street & Chalk Farm Road NW1

    • Tube Camden Town




    Camden Lock Market



    Regent’s Canal, Camden Lock

  2. Hampstead Heath and Parliament Hill

    A
    welcome retreat from the city, this large, open area is one of the best
    places in London for walking. Covering 800 acres of countryside, it
    contains ancient woodlands and ponds for swimming and fishing. The high
    point of Parliament Hill has great city views and is a popular place for
    kite-flying.

    • Heath Information Centre, Staff Yard, Highgate Road NW5

    • Tube Hampstead

    • 020 7482 7073




    View over London from Hampstead Heath

  3. Keats House

    Keats
    Grove, off Downshire Hill, is one of the loveliest areas of Hampstead.
    The house where the poet John Keats wrote much of his work is a pretty
    white villa, containing facsimiles of his fragile manuscripts and
    letters, as well as some personal possessions. Poetry readings and talks
    take place regularly .




  4. Freud Museum

    Sigmund
    Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, and his daughter Anna, came to
    live here when he fled Nazi-occupied Vienna. The house contains Freud’s
    collection of antiques and his library, including first editions of his
    own works. Also on display is the famous couch on which his patients
    related their dreams.

    • 20 Maresfield Gardens NW3

    • Tube Finchley Road

    • Open noon–5pm Wed–Sun

    • Admission charge

  5. Kenwood House

    This
    magnificent mansion, filled with Old Masters, is set in an idyllic
    lakeside estate on the edge of Hampstead Heath. Vermeer’s The Guitar Player
    and a self-portrait by Rembrandt are among the star attractions.
    Concerts are held by the lake in summer – audiences sit in the grassy
    bowl, with picnics to sustain them (see Kenwood House).

    • Hampstead Lane NW3

    • Tube Highgate

    • Open 11:30am–4pm daily

    • Pre-booked tours available

    • Free




  6. Burgh House

    Built
    in 1703, Burgh House houses Hampstead Museum, which has a good
    selection of local books and a map of the famous people who have lived
    in the area. The panelled music room is used for art exhibitions,
    concerts and meetings, and there is a pleasant café with garden tables.

    • New End Square NW3

    • Tube Hampstead

    • Open noon–5pm Wed–Fri, Sun

    • Free




    Burgh House

  7. Fenton House

    This
    splendid 1686 mansion is the oldest in Hampstead. Its exceptionally
    fine collection of Oriental and European porcelain, furniture and
    needlework was bequeathed to the National Trust with the house in 1952. A
    formal walled garden contains an orchard.

    • Windmill Hill NW3

    • Tube Hampstead

    • Open Mar–Nov: 2–5pm Wed–Fri, 11am–5pm Sat & Sun

    • Admission charge




    Fenton House

  8. 2 Willow Road

    Designed
    in 1939 by the architect Ernö Goldfinger for himself and his wife, the
    artist Ursula Blackwell, this is one of the most important examples of
    modern architecture in the UK. A film helps put the life and times of
    the couple in context. Goldfinger designed all the furniture and
    collected some fine works by Henry Moore, Max Ernst and Marcel Duchamp.

    • 2 Willow Road NW3

    • Train to Hampstead Heath

    • Open Apr–Oct: noon–5pm Thu–Sat (tours only)

    • Admission charge

  9. Lauderdale House

    Dating
    from the late 16th century, Lauderdale House was once associated with
    Charles II and his mistress Nell Gwynne. It now houses a popular arts
    and cultural centre, with regular concerts, exhibitions and Sunday craft
    and antique fairs.

    • Highgate Hill N6

    • Tube Highgate

    • Open 11am–4pm Tue–Fri, varies Sat (call 020 834 88716 to check), noon–5pm Sun

  10. Highgate Cemetery

    On
    the opposite side of the Heath to Hampstead, Highgate grew up as a
    healthy, countrified place for nobility who built large mansions here.
    Many of the famous people who lived in the area are buried in Highgate
    Cemetery. Soon after it had been consecrated in 1839, its Victorian
    architecture and fine views made it a popular outing for Londoners. Karl
    Marx and the novelist George Eliot are buried in the less glamorous
    East Cemetery

    • Swain’s Lane N6

    • Tube Archway

    • 020 8340 1834

    East Cemetery

    • open Apr–Oct: 10am–5pm Mon–Fri, 11am–4pm Sat–Sun; Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm daily.

    • Closed for funerals (phone to check).

    • Admission charge

    West Cemetery

    • tours only

    • Admission charge




    Highgate Cemetery