Walking Tours of London - Hampstead Historic Neighborhood
Hampstead features beautiful homes and a large wilderness area offering some of the best views of London
The historic neighbourhood of Hampstead is located in inner London about 7 kilometres north-west of Charing Cross. Many luxury homes, built in the latter 1800s are still there today.
In a addition to it's many luxurious homes, Hampstead is also well known for its beautiful 800 acre wilderness area, the Hampstead Heath, which, over the years has inspired many artists and writers.
This area first became popular with wealthy Londoner's in 1685 when they fled the neighbourhoods that were affected by the Great Plague, to avoid being quarantined and to seek out the healing waters of the Hampstead Wells. With the opening of a railway station in the 1860s the area continued to grow and prosper.
A number of notable British made their homes in Hampstead. Some of these include famous poet, John Keats, author George Orwell, and landscape painter John Constable. You may want to visit the Burgh House, a restored 1704 Queen Anne home that now houses a small museum exploring the history of Hampstead and displaying many of the paintings of John Constable. Admission is free and it is open Wednesday to Sunday from noon until 5pm. Also John Keats former Residence, the Keats House is now a museum operated by the City of London Corporation. It is open from 1pm until 5pm from Friday to Sunday during the Winter and from Tuesday to Sunday during the summer. There is a small admission charge.
Prior to going on this walking tour you may wish to download the City of London PDF Hampstead Heath trail map to print out at home from the links below.
PDF Download:
Hampstead Heath Trail Map
Size .54MB
Hampstead Walking Tour Directions
To explore Hampstead our recommended walking tour begins from Hampstead Station. This walk is 3.4 kms long and should take just under one hour at a normal walking pace, not including stops. We suggest you allow a minimum of 2 hrs - more if you plan to tour any of the attractions. Click the the Map and Directions tab to view the step-by-step directions.
Directions
| Tube Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Line | Hampstead Station | 0 Minutes |
How to get to Hampstead by Tube
- Start at Hampstead Station.
- Exit left onto Holly Hill
- Left on Flask Walk.
- Left on New End Square to Burgh House - Nearby attraction:Burgh House Museum.
- Right on New End Square from Burgh House.
- Left on Well Walk.
- Continue path into Hampstead Heath.
- Right on path in Hampstead Heath.
- Continue east across grassy area in Hampstead Heath to the viaduct over the pond.
- Cross viaduct and continue east.
- Left on path up Parliament Hill - Nearby attraction: Enjoy some wonderful views of London from this vantage point.
- Return straight down path from Parliament Hill to Parliament Hill Road.
- Continue Parliament Hill Road beyond Hampstead Heath Station.
- Continue S End Road - Nearby attraction: Keats House Museum.
- Left on Downshire Hill.
- Right on Rosslyn Hill.
- Continue Rosslyn Hill to Hampstead Station - Nearby attraction: Quaint shops along Rosslyn Hill.
Accommodations near Hampstead:
Photo Gallery
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The Hampstead Home of Famous Poet John Keats -
Arched Viaduct Crosses a Pond In Beautiful Hampstead Heath cc licensed photo by bortescristian -
Photo Credit: Croydon Clicker - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Croydon Clicker - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Croydon Clicker - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Croydon Clicker - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Croydon Clicker - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: Croydon Clicker - cc license via Flickr
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