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England > London > North London

Page 2 (Continued) North London: Hampstead: Highgate:

Originally, North London was a collection of separate little villages, each distinct in character and appearance. In Georgian times, winter snows sometimes made Highgate impossible to reach from London. Travelling from London to Hampstead involved galloping across miles of open countryside, sometimes with highwaymen in pursuit.

Time, London's massive 19th century expansion and the arrival of Northern Line has linked these leafy villages - yet each retains its own atmosphere and charm.

The Northern Line is the best way to reach and explore north London. Londoners like to denigrate it, sometimes jocularly dubbing it "the misery line". It's not too bad really - provided you don't mind waiting a bit longer for trains than on other Tube lines, particularly late at night.

The Northern Line forks into two spurs as you head north (one heading to Edgware, the other to High Barnet and Mill Hill East) so be sure to check which spur your station is on. All northbound Northern Lines trains pass through Camden Town, which is a good place to start.

Click on the headings to find out more: Hampstead, a Georgian village absorbed by London's sprawl but somehow still aloof from it, is a must on any visit to London. Its arty/literary reputation is long established, although Hampstead is now a pretty pricey place to live. John Keats, George Orwell, Robert Louis Stevenson, John Constable, Sigmund Freud, Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious - all lived here at some time or other.

John Constable and his wife lie at rest in the lovely wooded graveyard of St John at Hampstead, a great place to plan your walking tour. Constable used to live at Well Walk, a pretty little street where his house is marked by a blue heritage plaque. Actress Glenda Jackson, who concentrates on politics these days, represents Hampstead as an MP for the Labour Party. The locals unite from time to time to repel attempts by burger bars or other fast-food joints to colonise the dinky little streets.

Holly Bush Hill, where the 18th century painter George Romney lived at Romney House, is worth a visit.

Fenton House and Admiral's House are other well-preserved local historic dwellings, also open for visits.

Flask Walk and Well Walk are alleys of charming little shops and hideaway pubs. Flask Walk is named after The Flask pub - great place for a quiet ale. Church Row is probably London's best-preserved Georgian Street, complete with original ironwork.


Hidden away in leafy south Hampstead (Finchley Road Tube station is nearest), the Freud Museum has been established in the house to which Sigmund moved in 1938, fleeing from the Nazis. His library and ground floor study have been retained exactly as they were when the great psychoanalyst was in residence. Visitors then included H.G. Wells and Salvador Dali.

Another Hampstead gem is Keats House in Wentworth Place. This elegant, Regency villa is where Keats sat under a plum tree to write Ode to a Nightingale. No one knows how much he owed to his benefactor, Charles Armitage Brown, who put him up in this fine cottage. The house contains original manuscripts. It's where Keats composed some of his best work and where he fell in love with Fanny Brawne before dying (tragically young) of tuberculosis.

Hampstead borders upon Hampstead Heath, one of the finest pieces of parkland in the world. Hampstead Heath is a place of rolling, bucolic scenery that defies the visitor to believe this all lies in the middle of Europe's biggest metropolis. Parliament Hill is where enthusiastic kite fliers (warmly dressed in the cooler months) make the best of prevailing winds. Hill Garden is formal and West Heath remains dense woodland, not too different from how it would have appeared centuries ago.

The survival of Hampstead Heath is a tribute to all Londoners who have defended it. Rapacious 19th century developers tried to build over it and similar villains throughout the ages have attempted to grab portions for other nefarious purposes. Almost without exception, Londoners have seen them off. Good show! Hurrah for London!

Long before kites, Parliament Hill is believed to have been the site of an ancient Saxon parliament - hence the name.


Kenwood House is a splendid Adam mansion and the Heath's finest architectural site (and sight). Set in extensive grounds (the rhododendrons are a delight in season) it's open for visits. Artworks inside include notable English, Dutch and French paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Classical concerts are held in summer a large grassy amphitheatre in the grounds.


The Spaniards Inn in Spaniards Road at the edge of the Heath is one of London's most historic pubs, formerly the haunt of highwaymen (Dick Turpin amongst others) and poets - the latter including Shelley, Keats and Byron.

Another pub with a similarly rich history on Hampstead Heath's fringes is Jack Straw's Castle. Britain's current Home Secretary is named Jack Straw but the pub is called after a 14th century rebel.

Northeast of Hampstead Heath, Highgate offers quaint charms similar to those of Hampstead. Former London Mayor Dick Whittington is associated with Highgate. Descendants of his cat can be seen cleaning their whiskers and basking in the sun in these parts - although there's no proof, of course!

Highgate Hill leads to enchanting Waterlow Park, providing a delightful entrance to Highgate's best-known landmark, Highgate Cemetery.


London's most celebrated graveyard, Highgate Cemetery opened in 1839. It's divided into the East Cemetery and the West Cemetery - known as the Marx and Spenser sides respectively, after two famous residents who have nothing to do with the equally famous chain of clothing stores. The West Cemetery, with some weird catacombs, is the spookier side. It provided inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula.

The East Cemetery's most famous resident is economist Karl Marx, father of Communism. His original, simple little headstone was replaced in 1954 by a huge, grim, granite bust (courtesy of the Communist movement) and an inscription: "Workers of the World Unite." The bust on Karl Marx's Grave has been blown high into the air several times by politically inspired saboteurs, but is always retrieved upside-down from the gardens nearby and set back in place.


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