Hampstead Heath is an ancient
heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...
in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the
highest points in London, running from
Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
to
Highgate
Highgate is a suburban area of N postcode area, north London in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden, London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Haringey, Haringey. The area is at the north-eastern corner ...
, which rests on a band of
London Clay
The London Clay Formation is a Sediment#Shores and shallow seas, marine formation (geology), geological formation of Ypresian (early Eocene Epoch, c. 54-50 million years ago) age which outcrop, crops out in the southeast of England. The London C ...
.
The heath is rambling and hilly, embracing ponds, recent and ancient woodlands, a
lido
Lido may refer to:
Geography
* Lido (Belgrade), a river beach on the Danube in Belgrade, Serbia
* Venice Lido, an 11-kilometre-long barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, Venice, Italy
* Ruislip Lido, a reservoir and artificial beach in Ruisl ...
, playgrounds, and a training track, and it adjoins the former stately home of
Kenwood House and its estate. The south-east part of the heath is
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill (), colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern bank of the Ottawa River that houses the Parliament of Canada in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. It accommodates a suite of Gothic revival buildings whose ...
, from which the view over London is protected by law.
Running along its eastern perimeter is a chain of ponds – including three open-air public swimming pools – which were originally
reservoirs for drinking water from the
River Fleet
The River Fleet is the largest of Subterranean rivers of London, London's subterranean rivers, all of which today contain foul water for treatment. It has been used as a culverted sewer since the development of Joseph Bazalgette's London sewe ...
. The heath is a
Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation,
and part of Kenwood is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
. Lakeside concerts are held there in summer. The heath is managed by the
City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...
, and lies mostly within the
London Borough of Camden
The London Borough of Camden () is a London boroughs, borough in Inner London, England. Camden Town Hall, on Euston Road, lies north of Charing Cross. The borough was established on 1 April 1965 from the former Metropolitan boroughs of the Cou ...
, with the adjoining Hampstead Heath Extension and
Golders Hill Park in the
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet () is a suburban London boroughs, London borough in north London, England. Forming part of Outer London, the borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the ceremonial counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. It is the ...
.
History
Early history
Archaeological discoveries on Hampstead Heath, including tools from the
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...
, pits, postholes, and charred stones, point to the presence of a
hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living in a community, or according to an ancestrally derived Lifestyle, lifestyle, in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local naturally occurring sources, esp ...
community around 7000 BC.
Documentary evidence of Hampstead Heath dates from 986, when
Ethelred the Unready granted five
hides of land at "Hemstede" to the Abbot of Westminster. This same land is later recorded in the
Domesday Book
Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
of 1086 as held by the monastery of St. Peter's at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
, and by then it is known as the "Manor of Hampstead".
Westminster held the land until 1133, when control of part of the manor was released to Richard de Balta; then during
Henry II
Henry II may refer to:
Kings
* Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014
*Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154
*Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...
's reign the whole of the manor became privately owned by Alexander de Barentyn, the King's butler.
19th century legal and political battles
In 1767, the Manor of Hampstead and the estate which went with it came into the possession of the Wilson family following the marriage of General Sir Thomas Spencer Wilson, sixth baronet, to Jane Weller, niece and heir of the Revd. John Maryon. The estate consisted of , being mainly farmland to the west and north west of the village and including the heath.
From 1808 to 1814 Hampstead Heath hosted a station in the
shutter telegraph chain which connected the
Admiralty in London to its naval ships in the port of
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth ( ), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside resort, seaside town which gives its name to the wider Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. Its fishing industry, m ...
.
In 1821 Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson, eighth baronet, inherited the estate from his father. The construction of the
Finchley Road through Hampstead promised to open up the land for development, but under the terms of his father's will, Sir Thomas could neither sell any of the land nor grant leases on it for periods greater than 21 years, thus making it unsuitable for building.
In 1829 Sir Thomas tried to circumvent the will by promoting a bill in Parliament which would have allowed him to grant leases of up to 99 years. This was a straightforward procedure and would normally have been passed without difficulty. But because the bill included a provision to build on the heath, it attracted considerable opposition. This came partly from individuals who held certain rights under the ancient system of
copyhold
Copyhold was a form of customary land ownership common from the Late Middle Ages into modern times in England. The name for this type of land tenure is derived from the act of giving a copy of the relevant title deed that is recorded in the ...
, and also from influential figures who valued the heath as a natural asset and a place of recreation. The bill was passed by the House of Lords but was rejected by the House of Commons.
In 1830 Sir Thomas lodged a second bill. This specifically excluded the heath from development, but it did not exclude the East Park Estate which lay between the eastern part of the heath and Lord Mansfield's estate at Kenwood and Parliament Hill Fields. This bill also attracted opposition, on the grounds that if building was allowed on the East Park Estate, the East Heath would be surrounded by houses and its natural beauty would be lost. This bill also failed.
Sir Thomas was to spend most of the rest of his life trying to obtain permission to grant leases for building. The matter became a ''cause célèbre'', with the opposition being led by such influential figures as
John Gurney Hoare and Lord Mansfield.
Although unable to grant leases for building, there was nothing to prevent Sir Thomas from undertaking his own building work. In the mid 1840s, he drew up plans to build 28 villas on the East Park Estate. Work was started on an access road, a wall and a gamekeeper's hut, remnants of which still survive. However, because of landslips and problems of water penetration, attempts to build a viaduct to carry the road failed and the entire project was abandoned.
In 1866 the Hampstead Heath Protection Fund Committee was formed, a forerunner of the Heath & Hampstead Society which still campaigns to protect the heath.
In 1869 Sir Thomas died and the estate passed to his brother, Sir John Maryon Wilson. By now there was considerable pressure for public ownership of the heath. This was led by the
Commons Preservation Society, which had been formed in 1865 with the specific aim of protecting common land.
In 1870 the
Metropolitan Board of Works
The Metropolitan Board of Works (MBW) was the upper tier of local government for London between 1856 and 1889, primarily responsible for upgrading infrastructure. It also had a parks and open spaces committee which set aside and opened up severa ...
agreed to buy the heath on behalf of the public at a cost of £45,000 plus £2,000 for legal fees. The board also agreed to compensate the copyholders for the loss of their rights. The (
34 & 35 Vict. c. lxxvii) was passed, stating that it would be "of great advantage to the inhabitants of the Metropolis if the Heath were always kept unenclosed and unbuilt on, its natural aspect and state being as far as may be preserved."
Pressure then grew to purchase the East Park Estate and the Parliament Hill Fields, but no funds were available for this. A public fund-raising campaign was launched, led by the philanthropist
Baroness Burdett-Coutts and the campaigner
Octavia Hill
Octavia Hill (3December 183813August 1912) was an English Reform movement, social reformer and founder of the National Trust. Her main concern was the welfare of the inhabitants of cities, especially London, in the second half of the nineteent ...
.
This succeeded in raising the required £300,000, and in 1899 the East Park Estate and Parliament Hill Fields were added to the heath.
Later extensions
The Heath was further extended in 1898 with the purchase of
Golders Hill Park for £38,000 from the estate of
Sir Thomas Spencer Wells.
In 1904 following a campaign led by
Henrietta Barnett, Wyldes Farm was purchased from
Eton College
Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
. This land too was added to the Heath, and it is now known as the Heath Extension. The rest of Wyldes Farm was purchased by Henrietta Barnett to found the
Hampstead Garden Suburb. Another fund-raising campaign led by
Arthur Crosfield enabled part of Kenwood to be purchased. This land was added to the Heath in 1922. Finally,
Kenwood House and its adjacent ground were incorporated into the Heath in 1928 following a bequest by their owner, the
Earl of Iveagh.
Railway controversy
A fresh controversy arose in 1900 when the
Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway submitted a parliamentary bill for an underground railway line between Hampstead and
Golders Green. The company already had powers to build a line from
Charing Cross
Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Since the early 19th century, Charing Cross has been the notional "centre of London" and became the point from which distances from London are measured. ...
to Hampstead, terminating at a station in Heath Street. That line would follow the course of existing streets and was therefore uncontroversial. The proposed extension, however, would involve tunnelling under part of the Heath. The Heath & Hampstead Society opposed the scheme on the basis that the tunnels would drain the sub-soil and that the vibration of passing trains would damage trees. The campaign received support from ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', which published a strongly-worded editorial opposing the railway. But the claims were refuted by the railway company, who argued that the tunnels would be passing through impermeable clay at a depth of more than and would therefore have no effect on the Heath's ecology.
The bill was passed by Parliament, receiving its royal assent on 18 November 1902. The line, from Charing Cross to Golders Green, was opened in 1907. It now forms part of the
London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.
The Undergro ...
Northern line
The Northern line is a London Underground line that runs between North London and South London. It is printed in black on the Tube map. It carries more passengers per year than any other Underground linearound 340million in 2019making it the bu ...
.
Recent developments

The
City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...
has managed the heath since 1989.
Before that it was managed by the
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...
(GLC) and before that by the
London County Council
The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...
(LCC).
In 2021 ''Quiet Parks International'', a non-profit organisation whose aim is to identify locations around the world that remain free from human-made noise for at least brief periods, gave Hampstead Heath "Urban Quiet Park" status.
In September 2023 sheep made a return to Hampstead Heath as part of an initiative by the
City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...
. The initiative aimed to enhance
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
through controlled grazing, utilizing a flock of five rare-breed
Norfolk Horn and
Oxford Down. This followed a successful trial in 2019 which was the first instance of sheep grazing on the Heath since the 1950s.
Geography
Part of the heath sits astride a sandy ridge that runs from east to west and rests on a band of
London clay
The London Clay Formation is a Sediment#Shores and shallow seas, marine formation (geology), geological formation of Ypresian (early Eocene Epoch, c. 54-50 million years ago) age which outcrop, crops out in the southeast of England. The London C ...
. Its highest point is at . As the sand was easily penetrated by rainwater which was then held by the clay, a landscape of swampy hollows, springs and man-made excavations was created.
[ Hampstead Heath contains the largest single area of ]common land
Common land is collective land (sometimes only open to those whose nation governs the land) in which all persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect wood, or to cut turf for fuel.
A person ...
in Greater London, with of protected commons.
Public transport near the heath includes:
* London Overground
London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...
railway stations: Hampstead Heath and Gospel Oak
* London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.
The Undergro ...
stations: Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
and Belsize Park to the south; Golders Green to the north-west; Highgate
Highgate is a suburban area of N postcode area, north London in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden, London Borough of Islington, Islington and London Borough of Haringey, Haringey. The area is at the north-eastern corner ...
and Archway to the east and Kentish Town
Kentish Town is an area of northwest London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, immediately north of Camden Town, close to Hampstead Heath.
Kentish Town likely derives its name from Ken-ditch or Caen-ditch, meaning the "bed of a waterw ...
to the south-east.
Buses serve several roads around the heath.
Areas of the heath
The heath's include a number of distinct areas.
Whitestone, Highgate and Hampstead Ponds
Hampstead Heath has over 25 ponds; most of these are in two distinct areas: the Highgate Ponds and the Hampstead Ponds.
Whitestone Pond
Whitestone Pond is a roughly triangular pond, centrally located on the heath's south side and north-northwest of Queen Mary's House ( formerly a care home and before that a maternity hospital), across busy Heath Street (A502). Originally a small dew pond called the Horse Pond, it was renamed after a waypoint stone and is artificially fed. It has an exposed location, closely surrounded by roads, which limits its recreational use. It is the heath's best known body of water, and many people's introduction to Hampstead Heath's ponds.
Highgate Ponds
Highgate Ponds are a series of eight former reservoirs, on the heath's east (Highgate) side, and were originally dug in the 17th and 18th centuries. They include two single-sex swimming pools (the men's and ladies' bathing ponds), a model boating pond, and two ponds which serve as wildlife reserves: the Stock Pond and the Bird Sanctuary Pond. Fishing is allowed in some of the ponds, although this is threatened by proposals to modify the dams.
The ponds are the result of the 1777 damming of Hampstead Brook (one of the Fleet River's sources), by the Hampstead Water Company, which was formed in 1692 to meet London's growing water demands.[
"Boudicca's Mound", near the present men's bathing pond, is a ]tumulus
A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...
where, according to local legend, Queen Boudicca
Boudica or Boudicca (, from Brythonic * 'victory, win' + * 'having' suffix, i.e. 'Victorious Woman', known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh as , ) was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed up ...
(Boadicea) was buried after she and 10,000 Iceni warriors were defeated at Battle Bridge. However, historical drawings and paintings of the area show no mound other than a 17th-century windmill.
Hampstead Ponds
The Hampstead Ponds are three ponds in the heath's south-west corner, towards South End Green. Hampstead Pond No. 3 is the mixed bathing pond, where both sexes may swim.
Pond maintenance
In 2004 the City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...
, rejected a proposal by the Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Club to allow "early-morning, self-regulated swimming in the mixed sex pond on Hampstead Heath"; the Corporation argued that it risked legal action by the Health and Safety Executive
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a British public body responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare. It has additionally adopted a research role into occupational risks in Great B ...
if it allowed such swimming, since the Executive had refused to give assurances to the Corporation that it would not be prosecuted under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The swimmers successfully challenged this in the High Court, which in 2005 ruled that members of the swimming club had the right to swim at their own risk, and that the would not be liable under the Act for injuries as a result.
In January 2011 the City of London announced a scheme which it said would improve the safety of the dams, to guard against damage that might result from a very large, but rare storm hitting London. The proposed engineering modifications of the dams were aimed at ensuring that three dams complied with the 1975 Reservoir Act. With the passage of the 2010 Flood and Water Management Act the City of London was advised that all the dams on the heath would need to comply with the reservoir safety regulations. The proposed works in 2011 included recommendations to improve the water quality of the lake, which had suffered from algae blooms. The proposals for the pond dams were extensively modified in 2012–2014. The proposals were challenged by a consortium of groups and societies collectively called "Dam Nonsense". However, with the dam project being now completed, many locals have begun to accept the changes as wildlife begins to soften the border between the artificial and the natural in this area.
Caen Wood Towers
To the north east of the heath is a derelict site within the conservation area comprising the grounds and mansion of the former Caen Wood Towers (renamed Athlone House in 1972). This historic building, currently in disrepair, was built in 1872 for Edward Brooke, aniline dye manufacturer (architect, Edward Salomons). In 1942 the building was taken for war service by the Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
and was used to house the RAF Intelligence School, although the 'official' line was that it was a convalescence hospital. The Operational Record (Form 540) of RAF Station Highgate (currently in the National Archives, Kew
Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...
) was declassified in the late 1990s and shows the true role of this building in wartime service. The building sustained 2 near misses from V-1 flying bombs in late 1944, causing damage and injuries to staff. The RAF Intelligence School remained in Caen Wood Towers until 1948, when the building was handed over to the Ministry of Health. It was then used as a hospital and finally a post-operative recovery lodge, before falling into disrepair in the 1980s. The NHS sold off this part of their estate in 2004 to a private businessman who is currently redeveloping much of the site; however the House and its gardens fall within the conservation area of Hampstead Heath.
Parliament Hill Fields
Parliament Hill Fields lies on the south and east of the heath. It officially became part of the heath in 1888. It contains various sporting facilities including an athletics track, tennis courts and Parliament Hill Lido
Parliament Hill Lido, located in Hampstead Heath, north London, is next to Gospel Oak railway station. The Lido (swimming pool), lido, also known as Hampstead Heath Lido, is a public unheated open air swimming pool, open for 12 months a year. It ...
. Parliament Hill itself is considered by some to be the focal point of the heath, with the highest part of it known to some as "Kite Hill" due to its suitability for kite flying. The hill is high and is notable for its excellent views of the London skyline. The skyscrapers of Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a financial area of London, England, located in the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority defines it as part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. Alongside ...
and the City of London
The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
can be seen, along with St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...
and other landmarks, all in one panorama, parts of which are protected views. The main staff yards for the management of the heath are located at Parliament Hill Fields.[
In the south-east of the heath, on the southern slopes of Parliament Hill, is the Gospel Oak ]Lido
Lido may refer to:
Geography
* Lido (Belgrade), a river beach on the Danube in Belgrade, Serbia
* Venice Lido, an 11-kilometre-long barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, Venice, Italy
* Ruislip Lido, a reservoir and artificial beach in Ruisl ...
open air swimming pool, with a running track and fitness area to its north. Parliament Hill Fields was successfully defended from development in the late 19th Century by Octavia Hill
Octavia Hill (3December 183813August 1912) was an English Reform movement, social reformer and founder of the National Trust. Her main concern was the welfare of the inhabitants of cities, especially London, in the second half of the nineteent ...
and the Commons Preservation Society.
Kenwood
The area to the north of the heath is the Kenwood Estate and House – a total area of which is maintained by English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...
. This became part of the heath when it was bequeathed to the nation by Lord Iveagh
Earl of Iveagh (pronounced —especially in Dublin—or ) is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1919 for the businessman and philanthropist Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, Edward Guinness, 1st Viscount Iveagh. He was ...
on his death in 1927, and opened to the public in 1928. The original house dates from the early 17th century. The orangery was added in about 1700.
Hampstead Heath Woods
One third of the Kenwood estate (Ken Wood and North Wood) is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
, designated by Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
.
The Vale of Health
The Vale of Health is a hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
accessed by a lane from East Heath Road; it is surrounded entirely by the heath. In 1714, one Samuel Hatch, a harness maker, built a workshop and was granted some land. By 1720, he had a cottage at what was subsequently called ''Hatch's'' or ''Hatchett's Bottom''. A new name, regarded as a deliberate attempt to change the image of a developing location, the ''Vale of Health'', was recorded in 1801.
Extension
The Extension is an open space to the north-west of the main heath. It does not share the history of common and heathland of the rest of the heath. Instead it was created out of farmland, largely due to the efforts of Henrietta Barnett who went on to found Hampstead Garden Suburb. Its farmland origins can still be seen in the form of old field boundaries, hedgerows and trees.
The Hill Garden and Pergola
The Hill Garden and Pergola lie to the west of Inverforth House (formerly The Hill), and were laid out from 1906 by Thomas Hayton Mawson as private gardens for Lord Leverhulme. After neglect in recent decades the garden and pergola are in the care of the City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...
, are being restored, and are open to the public but locked at night. Several buildings within the garden are individually listed at grade II* or grade II. Those at grade II* include: the summerhouse at the western end of the pergola, which has extensive views over Hampstead Heath towards Harrow on the Hill; a summerhouse to the south of the garden; the southern pergola and terrace; the Cruciform pergola; a bridge; the Central Temple summerhouse; and the western pergola. The structures listed at grade II are: the pond and its architectural surround; and the garden terrace steps.
Golders Hill Park
Golders Hill Park is a formal park adjoining the West Heath. It occupies the site of a large house that was bombed during World War II. It has an expanse of grass, with a formal flower garden, a duck pond and a separate water garden that leads to a separate area for deer
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
, near a recently renovated small zoo. The zoo has donkey
The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...
s, maras, ring-tailed lemur
The ring-tailed lemur (''Lemur catta'') is a medium- to larger-sized strepsirrhine (wet-nosed) primate and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of fiv ...
s, ring-tailed coatis, white-cheeked turacos and European eagle-owls, among other animals. There are also tennis court
A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...
s, a butterfly house and a putting green.
Unlike most of the rest of the heath, Golders Hill Park is fenced in, and is closed at night.
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Ken Wood and North Wood are a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
called Hampstead Heath Woods, designated by Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
.
Constabulary
The heath is policed by the Hampstead Heath Constabulary, part of the City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...
. Its constables are: From their inauguration until 24 May 2018 some constables worked with general purpose dogs, all licensed to NPCC/Home Office standards. They have been responsible for patrolling the Heath since 1992.
Activities
The heath is home to a range of activities, including 16 different sports.[ It is used by walkers, runners, swimmers and kite-flyers. Running events include the weekly ]parkrun
Parkrun (stylised as parkrun) is a collection of 5K run, events for runners, walkers and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 23 countries across five continents.
Parkrun was founded by Paul Sinto ...
and the annual Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organisation. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...
. Until February 2007 Kenwood held a series of popular lakeside concerts.
Facilities include an athletics track, a pétanque
Pétanque (, ; ; ) is a sport that falls into the category of boules sports (along with Raffa (boules), raffa, bocce, boule lyonnaise, Bowls, lawn bowls, and Crown green bowls, crown green bowling). In these sports, players or teams play thei ...
pitch, a volleyball court and eight separate children's play areas, including an adventure playground.[
Swimming takes place all year round in two of the three natural swimming ponds: the men's pond which opened in the 1890s, and the ladies' pond which opened in 1925. The mixed pond is only open from May to September, though it is the oldest, having been in use since the 1860s.
The West Heath is regarded as a night-time gay cruising ground. ]George Michael
George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
revealed that he cruised on the heath, an activity he then parodied on the '' Extras'' Christmas Special. A notable site used for gay sex is the Fuck Tree, which was the subject of anti-cruising protests in 2025.
In popular culture
While living in London, Karl Marx
Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...
and his family went to the heath regularly, as their favourite outing.
John Atkinson Grimshaw, Victorian-era painter, painted an elaborate night-time scene of Hampstead Hill in oils. Hampstead Heath also provided the backdrop for the opening scene in Victorian writer Wilkie Collins
William Wilkie Collins (8 January 1824 – 23 September 1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for ''The Woman in White (novel), The Woman in White'' (1860), a mystery novel and early sensation novel, and for ''The Moonsto ...
' novel '' The Woman in White''.
Bram Stoker
Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
's novel ''Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' is partly set on Hampstead Heath, in scenes when the undead Lucy abducts children playing on the heath.
Hampstead Heath forms part of the location for G. K. Chesterton's fictional story " The Blue Cross" from '' The Innocence of Father Brown''.
The Heath is mentioned in Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony no. 2 'A London Symphony' with the subtitle 'Hampstead Heath on an August Bank Holiday'.
The photos used for the cover of The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...
LP ''The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society'' were taken on the Heath in August 1968. In some photographs, Witanhurst is visible in the background.
''Notting Hill'' (1999) featured scenes shot at the heath, located primarily around Kenwood House, where Julia Roberts' character was filming a movie.
In 2005, Giancarlo Neri's sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
''The Writer'', a 9-metre-tall table and chair, was exhibited on Hampstead Heath.
The film '' Scenes of a Sexual Nature'' (2006) was shot entirely on Hampstead Heath.
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson (26 June 1931 – 5 December 2013) was an English existentialist philosopher-novelist. He also wrote widely on true crime, mysticism and the paranormal, eventually writing more than a hundred books. Wilson called his p ...
slept rough (in a sleeping bag) on Hampstead Heath to save money when he was working on his first novel, '' Ritual in the Dark''.[Desert Island Discs Archive: 1976–1980]
In John le Carré's novel '' Smiley's People'', the heath is the murder scene of General Vladimir, a pivotal event that leads to the downfall of George Smiley's nemesis Karla.
''Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
'' is a 2017 film directed by Joel Hopkins about Harry Hallowes, who claimed squatter's rights on a corner of the heath on which he lived in a makeshift camp.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
mentions the heath in her song So Long, London off her album The Tortured Poets Department
''The Tortured Poets Department'' is the eleventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on April 19, 2024, by Republic Records. Swift developed the album amidst the Eras Tour in 2023, with the resultant, ...
.
Gallery
Panorama of London from Kenwood (after completion of
the Gherkin in 2003 but before the building of the
Heron Tower
Salesforce Tower, 110 Bishopsgate (formerly known as, Heron Tower) is a commercial skyscraper in London. It stands tall including its mast making it the second tallest building in the City of London financial district and the fifth List of ta ...
in 2009–10).
Image:Kenwood_House.jpg, Kenwood House
Image:Vale of Health.JPG, The Vale of Health
Image:Hampstead Heath The writer.jpg, ''The Writer'', temporary structure in 2005
Image:Emirates Stadium from Hampstead Heath.JPG, Arsenal F.C.'s Emirates Stadium
The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a association football, football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal F.C., Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. ...
viewed from Hampstead Heath
Image:Hampstead Heath, North-West.jpg, View towards St Jude's church in Hampstead Garden Suburb from the Heath extension
See also
*List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London
In England, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are designated by Natural England, which is responsible for protecting England's natural environment. Designation as an SSSI gives legal protection to ...
* Camden parks and open spaces
* Barnet parks and open spaces
* Nature reserves in Barnet
References
Bibliography
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External links
The official Hampstead Heath pages
on the City of London website
*
Hampstead Heath map
Comprehensive and detailed website for Hampstead Heath
History of Hampstead Heath
{{Authority control
Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Camden
Nature reserves in the London Borough of Camden
Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Barnet
Nature reserves in the London Borough of Barnet
Parks and open spaces of the City of London Corporation
Hills of London
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London
Highest points of English counties
Hampstead
Common land in London
Highgate
Heaths of London