Hampstead Heath, Hampstead

Hampstead Heath, in the north of London, is a pleasant open space with attractive woodland, grassy slopes and ponds. In bygone times it was particularly favored by residents seeking rest and relaxation and above all by artists, including such famous names as John Keats, John Constable, Robert Louis Stevenson, D. H. Lawrence, George Orwell and Elias Canetti.

Hampstead Heath Map

Important Information:

Entrance fee: FREE

Transit: Underground: Hampstead; Bus: 24, 46, 168, 210, 268, C11, C12

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Charles de Gaulle and Sigmund Freud were residents of Hampstead. This charming area around the highest point in London (145m/476ft) features in many paintings, including some by John Constable.

Two houses in Old Hampstead are of particular interest; one was occupied for a time by the poet Keats and in the beautifully furnished Fenton House (17th century), with its collection of porcelain and keyboard-instruments, chamber concerts of Baroque music are occasionally given. Further out is the former home of Sigmund Freud, now the Freud Museum (underground station: Finchley Road).

Hampstead park, the "Heath", stretches to the north of Old Hampstead. Visitors may relax at concerts on Concert Pond or bathe in Kenwood Pond (for women), Highgate Pond (for men) or Hampstead Pond (mixed). Kenwood House contains an interesting art collection with works by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Reynolds, Romney and Gainsborough.

Related Attractions

Highgate Cemetery

Highgate Cemetery, where Karl Marx is buried on the east side, has at least 850 notable people buried there. Amongst these are 18 Royal Academicians, 6 Lord Mayors of London, 48 Fellows of the Royal Society, the founders of London businesses including Maples, Foyles, Negretti-Zambra, John Lobb, P&O, and Quaritch, and familiar names such as Faraday, George Eliot, Radclyffe Hall, Carl Rosa and Sir Ralph Richardson.

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