Harry Hallowes (born , died 2016), also known as Harry the Hermit, was an Irishman who became famous for living in a camp on

Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London Clay. The heath is rambling ...

in north London. When property developers tried to evict him, he successfully claimed

adverse possession Adverse possession in common law, and the related civil law (legal system), civil law concept of usucaption (also ''acquisitive prescription'' or ''prescriptive acquisition''), are legal mechanisms under which a person who does not have title (p ...

. After his death, a

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

called ''

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 ...

'' was made about his life.

Life

Hallowes was born in

County Sligo County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...

, Ireland, around 1936 and moved to London in the 1950s. He was evicted from his

council flat A council house, corporation house or council flat is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Constru ...

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 ...

in 1987 and then set up a makeshift camp in a corner of Hampstead Heath near

Athlone House Athlone House, formerly known as Caen Wood Towers, is a large Victorian house in Highgate, north London, England. Built around 1872, it was designed by Edward Salomons and John Philpot in an intricate style, particularly as to shape and brickw ...

, supporting himself by doing odd jobs for locals such as the director

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam ( ; born 22 November 1940) is an American-British filmmaker, comedian, collage film, collage animator, and actor. He gained stardom as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe alongside John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Pa ...

. When property developers tried to evict him, he successfully claimed title to the land by

having lived there for over 12 years. He was awarded title to the half-acre plot of land in 2007.

Death

Hallowes died in February 2016. Hallowes left the half-acre plot to two homelessness charities (

Shelter A shelter is an architectural structure or natural formation (or a combination of the two) providing protection from the local environment. A shelter can serve as a home or be provided by a residential institution. It can be understood as both ...

and Centrepoint) and following his death the land was auctioned. The plot sold for £154,000 which was significantly less than estimates that had been speculatively reported in the press. This was due to an agreement that is over 100 years old which prevents construction on the site.

Film

In 2017, a

called ''

'' was based on Hallowes' experience. In the film, actor

Brendan Gleeson Brendan Gleeson (born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor. He has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, two British Independent Film Awards and three IFTA Awards, along with nominations for an Academy Award, three BAFTA Aw ...

played the part of a hermit on Hampstead Heath, who is befriended by an American widow played by

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American actress. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Diane Keaton, various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a Bri ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hallowes, Harry English hermits 20th-century squatters 20th-century English people 2016 deaths Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom People from County Sligo People from Hampstead 21st-century squatters