Hampstead
Encyclopedia
Hampstead is an area of London
, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Charing Cross
. Part of the London Borough of Camden
in Inner London
, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath
, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. It has some of the most expensive housing in the London area, or indeed anywhere in the world, with large houses selling for up to £50m (2008). The village of Hampstead has more millionaires within its boundaries than any other area of the United Kingdom
.
Although early records of Hampstead can be found in a grant by King Ethelred the Unready
to the monastery of St. Peter’s at Westminster (AD 986) and it is referred to in the Domesday Book
(1086), the history of Hampstead is generally traced back to the 17th century.
Trustees of the Well started advertising the medicinal qualities of the chalybeate
waters (water impregnated with iron) in 1700. Although Hampstead Wells was initially most successful and fashionable, its popularity declined in the 1800s due to competition with other fashionable London spas. The spa was demolished in 1882, although a water fountain was left behind.
Hampstead started to expand following the opening of the North London Railway
in the 1860s (now the London Overground
with passenger services operated by Transport for London
), and expanded further after the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway
opened in 1907 (now part of London Underground
's Northern Line
) and provided fast travel to central London
.
Much luxurious housing was created during the 1870s and 1880s, in the area that is now the political ward of Frognal & Fitzjohns. Much of this housing remains to this day.
Cultural attractions in the area include the Freud Museum
, Keats House, Kenwood House
, Fenton House
, The Isokon building
, Burgh House
, and the Camden Arts Centre
. The large Victorian Hampstead Library and Town Hall was recently converted and extended as a creative industries centre.
On 14 August 1975 Hampstead entered the UK Weather Records
with the Highest 155-min total rainfall at 169 mm. As of November 2008 this record remains.
Mark Pevsner, the grandson of Sir Nicholas Pevsner, described Hampstead as "a large collection of roads and passages which don't go in straight lines, houses of different ages, many of them good architecture but more often it's just the way they fit together, full of nice vistas and surprises. Hampstead is a huge collection of twists and turns."
in 1889 and in 1899 the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead
was formed. The borough town hall on Haverstock Hill, which was also the location of the Register Office, can be seen in newsreel footage of many celebrity civil marriages. In 1965 the metropolitan borough was abolished and its area merged with that of the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn
and the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras
to form the modern-day London Borough of Camden
.
Hampstead is part of the Hampstead and Kilburn
constituency, formed at the 2010 general election. It was formerly part of the Hampstead and Highgate constituency and since 1992 the member of parliament has been the former actress Glenda Jackson
of the Labour Party
.
The area is also home to the left-wing Labour magazine Tribune
and the satirical magazine the Hampstead Village Voice. The local paid-for newspaper is the Hampstead and Highgate Express, known locally as the "Ham & High". Hampstead is also covered by the borough-wide Camden New Journal
.
Since October 2008 the area has been represented on Camden Council by Liberal Democrat councilor Linda Chung, elected in a by-election to serve alongside Conservatives Kirsty Roberts and Chris Knight.
of the Daily Telegraph in the character of Lady Dutt-Pauker, an immensely wealthy aristocratic socialist whose Hampstead mansion, Marxmount House, contained an original pair of Bukharin's false teeth on display alongside precious Ming vases, neo-constructivist
art, and the complete writings of Stalin. As applied to an individual, the term "Hampstead Liberal" is not synonymous with "champagne socialist
" but it does carry some of the same implications, and both terms have correspondingly been used to describe figures such as Margaret Hodge
.
, is London's largest ancient parkland, Hampstead Heath
, which includes the well-known and legally-protected view of the London skyline from Parliament Hill. The Heath, a major place for Londoners to walk and "take the air", has three open-air public swimming ponds
; one for men, one for women, and one for mixed bathing
, which were originally reservoirs for drinking water and the sources of the River Fleet
. The bridge pictured is known locally as 'The Red Arches' or 'The Viaduct', built in fruitless anticipation of residential building on the Heath in the 19th century.
Local activities include major open-air concerts on summer Saturday evenings on the slopes below Kenwood House
, book and poetry readings, fun fairs on the lower reaches of the Heath, period harpsichord recitals at Fenton House, Hampstead Scientific Society and Hampstead Photographic Society.
The largest employer in Hampstead is the Royal Free Hospital
, Pond Street, but many small businesses based in the area have international significance. George Martin
's AIR
recording studios, in converted church premises in Lyndhurst Road, is a current example, as Jim Henson's Creature Shop
was, before it relocated to California.
The area has some remarkable architecture, such as the Isokon building
in Lawn Road, a Grade I listed experiment in collective housing, once home to Agatha Christie
, Henry Moore
, Ben Nicholson
and Walter Gropius
. It was recently restored by Notting Hill Housing Trust.
, Spaniard's Road, where highwayman Dick Turpin
took refuge; The Old Bull and Bush in North End; and The Old White Bear (formerly Ye Olde White Bear). Jack Straw's Castle on the edge of the Heath near Whitestone Pond at the brow of the Heath has now been converted into residential flats. Others include:
was finally allowed to open in Hampstead in 1992, after winning its right in court, and agreeing to a previously unprecedented re-design of the shop front, reducing the conspicuousness of its facade and logo.
Hampstead's rural feel lends itself for use on film; a notable example being The Killing of Sister George
(1968) starring Beryl Reid
and Susannah York
. The opening sequence has Reid's character June wandering through the streets and alleyways of Hampstead, west of Heath Street, around The Mount Square. The Marquis of Granby pub, in which June drinks at the opening of the film, was actually The Holly Bush, at 22 Holly Mount. Another example is The Collector (1965), starring Terence Stamp
and Samantha Eggar
, where the kidnap sequence is set in Mount Vernon.
The 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth
, starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie, was shot, in large part, in Hampstead Heath.
Some scenes from An American Werewolf in London
(1981) are shot on Hampstead Heath
, Well Walk and Haverstock Hill. Harry and Judith are killed in Hampstead Heath, behind the Priors on East Heath Road. Before David kills them, Harry and Judith get out of the taxi on East Heath Road at Well Walk.
More recently Kenwood House
is the set of the "film-within-the-film" scene of Notting Hill
(1999). Outdoor scenes in The Wedding Date
(2005), starring Debra Messing
, feature Parliament Hill Fields on the Heath, overlooking west London. Four Weddings and a Funeral
(1994) features the old Hampstead Town Hall on Haverstock Hill. The cult film Scenes of a Sexual Nature
(2006) was filmed entirely on Hampstead Heath, covering various picturesque locations such as the 'Floating Gardens' and Kenwood House
.
A musical specifically focusing on the area, Les Bicyclettes de Belsize
(1968), tells the story of a young man's cycle journey around Hampstead. After crashing into a billboard poster, he falls in love with the fashion model depicted on it.
terminus known as Hampstead Heath
located in South End Green. Its most frequent service is Route 24 which for over 100 years has linked this area with the West End
, Victoria
and Grosvenor Road in Pimlico
.
Bus routes that currently serve Hampstead are: 24
46 168 210
268
603 C11 and N5.
and Belsize Park
— on the Northern Line
and Swiss Cottage
on the Jubilee Line
. The stations are within Travelcard Zone 2
. Hampstead is the boundary with Travelcard Zone 3
. Construction of North End tube station
was started but not completed.
is Hampstead Heath
however for the west parts of Hampstead such as Frognal
, Finchley Road & Frognal
may be more convenient.
and the Hampstead and Highgate Express.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. Part of the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
in Inner London
Inner London
Inner London is the name for the group of London boroughs which form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London. The area was first officially defined in 1965 and for purposes such as statistics, the definition has changed over time. The terms Inner London and Central...
, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . 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...
, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. It has some of the most expensive housing in the London area, or indeed anywhere in the world, with large houses selling for up to £50m (2008). The village of Hampstead has more millionaires within its boundaries than any other area of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Etymology
The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon words ham and stede, which means, and is a cognate of, the Modern English "homestead".To 1900
Ethelred the Unready
Æthelred the Unready, or Æthelred II , was king of England . He was son of King Edgar and Queen Ælfthryth. Æthelred was only about 10 when his half-brother Edward was murdered...
to the monastery of St. Peter’s at Westminster (AD 986) and it is referred to in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(1086), the history of Hampstead is generally traced back to the 17th century.
Trustees of the Well started advertising the medicinal qualities of the chalybeate
Chalybeate
Chalybeate waters, also known as ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron.-Name:The word "chalybeate" is derived from the Latin word for steel, "chalybs", which follows from the Greek word "khalups"...
waters (water impregnated with iron) in 1700. Although Hampstead Wells was initially most successful and fashionable, its popularity declined in the 1800s due to competition with other fashionable London spas. The spa was demolished in 1882, although a water fountain was left behind.
Hampstead started to expand following the opening of the North London Railway
North London Railway
The North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...
in the 1860s (now the London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
with passenger services operated by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
), and expanded further after the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway
Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway
The Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway , also known as the Hampstead tube, was a railway company established in 1891 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London. Construction of the CCE&HR was delayed for more than a decade whilst funding was sought...
opened in 1907 (now part of London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
's Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
) and provided fast travel to central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
.
Much luxurious housing was created during the 1870s and 1880s, in the area that is now the political ward of Frognal & Fitzjohns. Much of this housing remains to this day.
20th century
In the 20th century, a number of notable buildings were created including:- Hampstead tube stationHampstead tube stationHampstead tube station is a London Underground station in Hampstead, north London NW3 1QG. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Golders Green and Belsize Park stations, and on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3....
(1907), the deepest station on the Underground network - Isokon buildingIsokon buildingThe Isokon building in Lawn Road, Hampstead, London is a concrete block of 34 flats designed by architect Wells Coates for Molly and Jack Pritchard. They were built between 1933 and 1934 as an experiment in communal living. Most of the flats had very small kitchens as there was a large communal...
(1932) - Hillfield CourtHillfield courtHillfield Court is a famous art deco residential mansion block in Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1932. It is located off Belsize Avenue and can also be accessed from Glenloch Road. It is one of the many purpose built mansion blocks on Haverstock Hill between Chalk Farm and...
(1932) - 2 Willow Road2 Willow Road2 Willow Road is part of a terrace of three houses in Hampstead, London designed by architect Ernő Goldfinger and built in 1938. It has been managed by the National Trust since 1995 and is open to the public. It was one of the first modernist buildings acquired by the Trust, giving rise to some...
(1938) - Hampstead TheatreHampstead TheatreHampstead Theatre is a theatre in the vicinity of Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. In 2009 it celebrates its 50 year anniversary.The original theatre was...
(2003) - Swiss Cottage Central LibrarySwiss Cottage Central LibraryThe Swiss Cottage Central Library is the central library of the public library service in the London Borough of Camden, and is housed in an architectural landmark building designed by Sir Basil Spence....
(1964) - Royal Free HospitalRoyal Free HospitalThe Royal Free Hospital is a major teaching hospital in Hampstead, London, England and part of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust....
(mid 1970s) - the Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre (2006)
Freud Museum
The Freud Museum, at 20 Maresfield Gardens in Hampstead, was the home of Sigmund Freud and his family when they escaped Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938. It remained the family home until Anna Freud, the youngest daughter, died in 1982. The centrepiece of the museum is Freud's study, preserved...
, Keats House, Kenwood House
Kenwood House
Kenwood House is a former stately home, in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. It is managed by English Heritage.-History:...
, Fenton House
Fenton House
Fenton House is a 17th century merchant's house in Hampstead in North London which belongs to the National Trust, bequeathed to them in 1952 by Lady Binning, its last owner and resident. It is a detached house with a walled garden, which is large by London standards, and features roses, an orchard...
, The Isokon building
Isokon building
The Isokon building in Lawn Road, Hampstead, London is a concrete block of 34 flats designed by architect Wells Coates for Molly and Jack Pritchard. They were built between 1933 and 1934 as an experiment in communal living. Most of the flats had very small kitchens as there was a large communal...
, Burgh House
Burgh House
Burgh House is a historic house located on New End Square in Hampstead, London that includes the Hampstead Museum. The house is also listed as Burgh House & Hampstead Museum.- Brief history :...
, and the Camden Arts Centre
Camden Arts Centre
Camden Arts Centre is a contemporary visual art gallery, dedicated to engaging living artists from across the world. Positioning the artist at the centre of the programme, Camden Arts Centre strives to involve the public in the ideas and work of today's artists.The exhibition and education...
. The large Victorian Hampstead Library and Town Hall was recently converted and extended as a creative industries centre.
On 14 August 1975 Hampstead entered the UK Weather Records
UK Weather Records
The UK Weather Records note the most extreme weather ever recorded in the United Kingdom, such as the most and fewest hours of sunshine and highest wind speed.-Temperature:-Rainfall:...
with the Highest 155-min total rainfall at 169 mm. As of November 2008 this record remains.
Mark Pevsner, the grandson of Sir Nicholas Pevsner, described Hampstead as "a large collection of roads and passages which don't go in straight lines, houses of different ages, many of them good architecture but more often it's just the way they fit together, full of nice vistas and surprises. Hampstead is a huge collection of twists and turns."
Politics
Hampstead became part of the County of LondonCounty of London
The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of...
in 1889 and in 1899 the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead
Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead
The Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras and the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn to form the London Borough of Camden....
was formed. The borough town hall on Haverstock Hill, which was also the location of the Register Office, can be seen in newsreel footage of many celebrity civil marriages. In 1965 the metropolitan borough was abolished and its area merged with that of the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn
Metropolitan Borough of Holborn
The Metropolitan Borough of Holborn was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras and the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead to form the London Borough of Camden....
and the Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras
Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras
The Metropolitan Borough of St Pancras was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Hampstead and the Metropolitan Borough of Holborn to form the London Borough of Camden...
to form the modern-day London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
.
Hampstead is part of the Hampstead and Kilburn
Hampstead and Kilburn (UK Parliament constituency)
Hampstead and Kilburn is a borough constituency electing one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
constituency, formed at the 2010 general election. It was formerly part of the Hampstead and Highgate constituency and since 1992 the member of parliament has been the former actress Glenda Jackson
Glenda Jackson
Glenda May Jackson, CBE is a British Labour Party politician and former actress. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1992, and currently represents Hampstead and Kilburn. She previously served as MP for Hampstead and Highgate...
of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
The area is also home to the left-wing Labour magazine Tribune
Tribune (magazine)
Tribune is a democratic socialist weekly, founded in 1937 published in London. It is independent but supports the Labour Party from the left...
and the satirical magazine the Hampstead Village Voice. The local paid-for newspaper is the Hampstead and Highgate Express, known locally as the "Ham & High". Hampstead is also covered by the borough-wide Camden New Journal
Camden New Journal
The Camden New Journal is a free, independent newspaper that covers the London Borough of Camden. It was born out of a strike in the 1980s supported by campaigning journalist Paul Foot, Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson and the paper's editor Eric Gordon...
.
Since October 2008 the area has been represented on Camden Council by Liberal Democrat councilor Linda Chung, elected in a by-election to serve alongside Conservatives Kirsty Roberts and Chris Knight.
Hampstead Liberalism
The area has a significant tradition of educated liberal humanism, often referred to (often disparagingly) as "Hampstead Liberalism". In the 1960s, the figure of the Hampstead Liberal was notoriously satirised by Peter SimpleMichael Wharton
Michael Wharton was a newspaper columnist who wrote under the pseudonym Peter Simple in the British Daily Telegraph. He began work on the "Way of the World" column with illustrator Michael ffolkes three times a week in early 1957...
of the Daily Telegraph in the character of Lady Dutt-Pauker, an immensely wealthy aristocratic socialist whose Hampstead mansion, Marxmount House, contained an original pair of Bukharin's false teeth on display alongside precious Ming vases, neo-constructivist
Constructivism (art)
Constructivism was an artistic and architectural philosophy that originated in Russia beginning in 1919, which was a rejection of the idea of autonomous art. The movement was in favour of art as a practice for social purposes. Constructivism had a great effect on modern art movements of the 20th...
art, and the complete writings of Stalin. As applied to an individual, the term "Hampstead Liberal" is not synonymous with "champagne socialist
Champagne socialist
Champagne socialist is a pejorative political term originating in the United Kingdom. The phrase is used to describe self identified socialists whose comfortable upper middle class lifestyles are perceived to be incompatible with their professed political convictions...
" but it does carry some of the same implications, and both terms have correspondingly been used to describe figures such as Margaret Hodge
Margaret Hodge
Margaret Hodge MBE MP, also known as Lady Hodge by virtue of her husband's knighthood, is a British Labour politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Barking since 1994. She was the first Minister for Children in 2003 and was Minister of State for Culture and Tourism at the Department...
.
Places of interest
Sites
To the north and east of Hampstead, and separating it from HighgateHighgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
, is London's largest ancient parkland, Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . 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...
, which includes the well-known and legally-protected view of the London skyline from Parliament Hill. The Heath, a major place for Londoners to walk and "take the air", has three open-air public swimming ponds
Hampstead Ponds
The Hampstead Ponds or Highgate Ponds are three large freshwater swimming ponds — two designated single sex, and one for mixed bathing — fed by the headwater springs of the River Fleet — in Hampstead Heath, North London, England....
; one for men, one for women, and one for mixed bathing
Mixed bathing
Mixed bathing is a term that refers to members of the opposite gender swimming together in the same pool. In ancient Rome, mixed bathing was never the rule in public installations, although it did occur in private facilities. Today, in Japan, the practice is not common...
, which were originally reservoirs for drinking water and the sources of the River Fleet
River Fleet
The River Fleet is the largest of London's subterranean rivers. Its two headwaters are two streams on Hampstead Heath; each is now dammed into a series of ponds made in the 18th century, the Hampstead Ponds and the Highgate Ponds. At the south edge of Hampstead Heath these two streams flow...
. The bridge pictured is known locally as 'The Red Arches' or 'The Viaduct', built in fruitless anticipation of residential building on the Heath in the 19th century.
Local activities include major open-air concerts on summer Saturday evenings on the slopes below Kenwood House
Kenwood House
Kenwood House is a former stately home, in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. It is managed by English Heritage.-History:...
, book and poetry readings, fun fairs on the lower reaches of the Heath, period harpsichord recitals at Fenton House, Hampstead Scientific Society and Hampstead Photographic Society.
The largest employer in Hampstead is the Royal Free Hospital
Royal Free Hospital
The Royal Free Hospital is a major teaching hospital in Hampstead, London, England and part of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust....
, Pond Street, but many small businesses based in the area have international significance. George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
's AIR
Associated Independent Recording
Associated Independent Recording , an independent recording company, was founded in London in 1965 by Beatles producer George Martin and his partner John Burgess after their departure from EMI....
recording studios, in converted church premises in Lyndhurst Road, is a current example, as Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, and Frank Oz.It was originally created as a result of the observation that the team that had been put together for The Dark Crystal was extremely hard to recreate for Labyrinth, since the...
was, before it relocated to California.
The area has some remarkable architecture, such as the Isokon building
Isokon building
The Isokon building in Lawn Road, Hampstead, London is a concrete block of 34 flats designed by architect Wells Coates for Molly and Jack Pritchard. They were built between 1933 and 1934 as an experiment in communal living. Most of the flats had very small kitchens as there was a large communal...
in Lawn Road, a Grade I listed experiment in collective housing, once home to Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
, Henry Moore
Henry Moore
Henry Spencer Moore OM CH FBA was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art....
, Ben Nicholson
Ben Nicholson
Benjamin Lauder "Ben" Nicholson, OM was a British painter of abstract compositions , landscape and still-life.-Background and Training:...
and Walter Gropius
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius was a German architect and founder of the Bauhaus School who, along with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture....
. It was recently restored by Notting Hill Housing Trust.
Museums
- Fenton HouseFenton HouseFenton House is a 17th century merchant's house in Hampstead in North London which belongs to the National Trust, bequeathed to them in 1952 by Lady Binning, its last owner and resident. It is a detached house with a walled garden, which is large by London standards, and features roses, an orchard...
– Hampstead Grove, Hampstead, London, NW3 6SP - Freud MuseumFreud MuseumThe Freud Museum, at 20 Maresfield Gardens in Hampstead, was the home of Sigmund Freud and his family when they escaped Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938. It remained the family home until Anna Freud, the youngest daughter, died in 1982. The centrepiece of the museum is Freud's study, preserved...
– 20 Maresfield Gardens, Hampstead, London, NW3 5SX - Burgh HouseBurgh HouseBurgh House is a historic house located on New End Square in Hampstead, London that includes the Hampstead Museum. The house is also listed as Burgh House & Hampstead Museum.- Brief history :...
& Hampstead Museum – New End Square, Hampstead, London, NW3 1LT - Keats House Museum – Keats Grove, Hampstead, London, NW3 2RR
- Kenwood HouseKenwood HouseKenwood House is a former stately home, in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. It is managed by English Heritage.-History:...
– Hampstead Lane, Hampstead, London, NW3 7JR
Theatres and cinemas
- Everyman Cinema – 5 Holly Bush Vale, Hampstead, London, NW3 6TX
- Hampstead TheatreHampstead TheatreHampstead Theatre is a theatre in the vicinity of Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. In 2009 it celebrates its 50 year anniversary.The original theatre was...
– Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London, NW3 3EU - New End TheatreNew End TheatreThe New End Theatre, Hampstead, was a 80-seat fringe theatre venue in London, England, located in the London Borough of Camden which operated from 1974 until 2011. It was listed widely on the internet, including with the New York Times....
– 27 New End, Vale of Heath, Hampstead, London, NW3 1JD - Pentameters TheatrePentameters TheatreThe Pentameters Theatre was founded in 1968 and is still run by artistic director Leonie Scott-Matthews, a well known Hampstead resident. It is a 60-seat venue and is a fringe theatre in the London Borough of Camden, located above the Three Horseshoes public house in Hampstead...
– 28 Heath Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 6TE
Pubs
Hampstead is well known for its traditional pubs, such as the Holly Bush, gas-lit until recently; the Spaniard's InnSpaniards Inn
The Spaniards Inn is a historic pub on Spaniards Road between Hampstead and Highgate in London. It lies on the edge of Hampstead Heath near Kenwood House....
, Spaniard's Road, where highwayman Dick Turpin
Dick Turpin
Richard "Dick" Turpin was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's profession as a butcher early in life, but by the early 1730s he had joined a gang of deer thieves, and later became a poacher,...
took refuge; The Old Bull and Bush in North End; and The Old White Bear (formerly Ye Olde White Bear). Jack Straw's Castle on the edge of the Heath near Whitestone Pond at the brow of the Heath has now been converted into residential flats. Others include:
- The Flask – 14 Flask Walk, Hampstead, London, NW3 1HE
- Freemasons Arms – 32 Downshire Hill, Hampstead, London, NW3 1NT
- The Duke of Hamilton – 23–25 New End, Hampstead, London, NW3 1JD
- The Horseshoe (formerly The Three Horseshoes) – 28 Heath Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 6TE
- King William IV (aka KW4) – 77 Hampstead High Street, Hampstead, London, NW3 1RE
- The Magdala – 2a South Hill Park, Hampstead, London, NW3 2SB
- The Garden Gate – 14 South End Road, Hampstead, London, NW3 2QE
Restaurants
Hampstead has an eclectic mix of restaurants ranging from French to Thai. Notable and longstanding are La Gaffe, Gaucho Grill, Jin Kichi, Tip Top Thai, Al Casbah, Le Cellier du Midi and CrimeaJewel. After over a decade of controversy and legal action from local residents, McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
was finally allowed to open in Hampstead in 1992, after winning its right in court, and agreeing to a previously unprecedented re-design of the shop front, reducing the conspicuousness of its facade and logo.
Churches
- Christ ChurchChrist Church, HampsteadChrist Church Hampstead is a Church of England church in Hampstead, London. It is the original church of Hampstead and the Heath.-History:The present church was erected between 1850 and 1852 to designs by the architect Samuel Daukes in the Early English Gothic style. In 1860 a timber gallery was...
– Hampstead Square, NW3 1AB - St. Andrew's United Reformed Church, Frognal Lane, NW3 7DY
- St John-at-HampsteadSt John-at-HampsteadSt John-at-Hampstead is a Church of England church dedicated to St John the Evangelist in Church Row, Hampstead, London.-History:...
– Church Row, NW3 6UU - St John's Downshire Hill – Downshire Hill, NW3 1NU
- St Luke's – Kidderpore Avenue, NW3 7SU
- St Mary's ChapelSt Mary's Chapel (Hampstead)St Mary’s Chapel in Holly Place, Holly Walk, Hampstead, London, NW3, was set up in the late 18th century by refugees from the French Revolution with a purpose built building opening in 1816...
– 4 Holly Place, NW3 6QU - Rosslyn Hill Unitarian ChapelRosslyn Hill Unitarian ChapelThe Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel is a Unitarian chapel on Rosslyn Hill in Hampstead, London. It is a member of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, the umbrella organisation for British Unitarians....
Film locations
The Killing of Sister George
The Killing of Sister George is a 1964 play by Frank Marcus that was adapted as a 1968 film directed by Robert Aldrich.- Stage version :Sister George is a beloved character in the popular radio series Applehurst, a nurse who ministers to the medical needs and personal problems of the local villagers...
(1968) starring Beryl Reid
Beryl Reid
Beryl Elizabeth Reid, OBE was a British actress of stage and screen.-Early life:Born in Hereford, England in 1919, Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents and grew up in Manchester where she attended Withington and Levenshulme High Schools.-Career:Reid applied for and was accepted in a revue in...
and Susannah York
Susannah York
Susannah York was a British film, stage and television actress. She was awarded a BAFTA as Best Supporting Actress for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe for the same film. She won best actress for Images at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival...
. The opening sequence has Reid's character June wandering through the streets and alleyways of Hampstead, west of Heath Street, around The Mount Square. The Marquis of Granby pub, in which June drinks at the opening of the film, was actually The Holly Bush, at 22 Holly Mount. Another example is The Collector (1965), starring Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
and Samantha Eggar
Samantha Eggar
Samantha Eggar is an English film, television and voice actress.-Early life:She was born Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar in Hampstead, London to an Anglo-Irish father and a mother of Dutch and Portuguese descent...
, where the kidnap sequence is set in Mount Vernon.
The 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth
Labyrinth (film)
Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
, starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie, was shot, in large part, in Hampstead Heath.
Some scenes from An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror film, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne....
(1981) are shot on Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . 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...
, Well Walk and Haverstock Hill. Harry and Judith are killed in Hampstead Heath, behind the Priors on East Heath Road. Before David kills them, Harry and Judith get out of the taxi on East Heath Road at Well Walk.
More recently Kenwood House
Kenwood House
Kenwood House is a former stately home, in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. It is managed by English Heritage.-History:...
is the set of the "film-within-the-film" scene of Notting Hill
Notting Hill (film)
Notting Hill is a 1999 British romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999. The screenplay was by Richard Curtis, who had written Four Weddings and a Funeral. It was produced by Duncan Kenworthy and directed by Roger Michell...
(1999). Outdoor scenes in The Wedding Date
The Wedding Date
The Wedding Date is a 2005 romantic comedy directed by Clare Kilner, who also directed How to Deal . The release was successful achieving $47 million worldwide at the box office against a budget of $15 million...
(2005), starring Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
, feature Parliament Hill Fields on the Heath, overlooking west London. Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
(1994) features the old Hampstead Town Hall on Haverstock Hill. The cult film Scenes of a Sexual Nature
Scenes of a Sexual Nature
Scenes of a Sexual Nature is a 2006 British comedy-drama film directed by Ed Blum. It stars Ewan McGregor, among others.-Plot:The film is mostly based on a series of seven loosely related stories of couples on Hampstead Heath in north London, featuring an ensemble cast...
(2006) was filmed entirely on Hampstead Heath, covering various picturesque locations such as the 'Floating Gardens' and Kenwood House
Kenwood House
Kenwood House is a former stately home, in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. It is managed by English Heritage.-History:...
.
A musical specifically focusing on the area, Les Bicyclettes de Belsize
Les Bicyclettes de Belsize
Les Bicyclettes de Belsize is a 1968 British musical short film starring Judy Huxtable and Anthony May. It was directed by Douglas Hickox....
(1968), tells the story of a young man's cycle journey around Hampstead. After crashing into a billboard poster, he falls in love with the fashion model depicted on it.
Transport
Hampstead has a major busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
terminus known as Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath is a large, ancient London park, covering . 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...
located in South End Green. Its most frequent service is Route 24 which for over 100 years has linked this area with the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, Victoria
Victoria, London
Victoria is a commercial and residential area of inner city London, lying wholly within the City of Westminster, and named after Queen Victoria....
and Grosvenor Road in Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
.
Bus routes that currently serve Hampstead are: 24
London Buses route 24
London Buses route 24 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:This route dates back to 1910, when it ran between Hampstead Heath and Victoria...
46 168 210
London Buses route 210
London Buses route 210 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. This service is currently contracted to Metroline.-History:...
268
London Buses route 268
London Buses route 268 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva Shires & Essex.-History:...
603 C11 and N5.
Nearest tube stations
The nearest London Underground stations are HampsteadHampstead tube station
Hampstead tube station is a London Underground station in Hampstead, north London NW3 1QG. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Golders Green and Belsize Park stations, and on the boundary between Travelcard Zone 2 and Zone 3....
and Belsize Park
Belsize Park tube station
Belsize Park tube station is a London Underground station in Belsize Park, North-West London. The station is on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line, between Chalk Farm and Hampstead stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2. It is located at the northern end of Haverstock Hill...
— on the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
and Swiss Cottage
Swiss Cottage tube station
Swiss Cottage tube station is a London Underground station at Swiss Cottage. It is on the Jubilee Line, between and . It is in Travelcard Zone 2 and on the Finchley Road.-History:...
on the Jubilee Line
Jubilee Line
The Jubilee line is a line on the London Underground , in the United Kingdom. It was built in two major sections—initially to Charing Cross, in central London, and later extended, in 1999, to Stratford, in east London. The later stations are larger and have special safety features, both aspects...
. The stations are within Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services.-Background:...
. Hampstead is the boundary with Travelcard Zone 3
Travelcard Zone 3
Fare zone 3 is a zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services...
. Construction of North End tube station
North End tube station
North End is a never-completed underground station, on the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway...
was started but not completed.
Nearest railway station
The nearest London Overground stationLondon Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
is Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath railway station
Hampstead Heath railway station is in London on the North London Line, between and stations. Since 11 November 2007 it and the service there have been run by London Overground.The typical service at the station in trains per hour is:...
however for the west parts of Hampstead such as Frognal
Frognal
Frognal is an affluent area in North West London in the London Borough of Camden between Hampstead and West Hampstead. Frognal is also the name of the major road in the area.-History:...
, Finchley Road & Frognal
Finchley Road & Frognal railway station
Finchley Road & Frognal railway station is on Finchley Road in the London Borough of Camden in North London. It is on the North London Line, and the station and all trains serving it are operated by London Overground. It is in Travelcard Zone 2...
may be more convenient.
Nearest places
- Belsize ParkBelsize ParkBelsize Park is an area of north-west London, England, in the London Borough of Camden.It is located north-west of Charing Cross and situated on the Northern Line. It borders Hampstead to the north and west, Kentish Town and Gospel Oak to the east, Camden Town to the south east and Primrose Hill...
- Chalk FarmChalk FarmChalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
- Childs HillChilds HillChilds Hill, now the southernmost ward of the London Borough of Barnet, although of historic origin, is a late-19th-century suburban development situated 5 miles northwest of Charing Cross bordered by the A41 and Dunstan Road, and centred on the junction of Cricklewood Lane and Finchley Road...
- FrognalFrognalFrognal is an affluent area in North West London in the London Borough of Camden between Hampstead and West Hampstead. Frognal is also the name of the major road in the area.-History:...
- FinchleyFinchleyFinchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
- Golders GreenGolders GreenGolders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. Although having some earlier history, it is essentially a 19th century suburban development situated about 5.3 miles north west of Charing Cross and centred on the crossroads of Golders Green Road and Finchley Road.In the...
- HighgateHighgateHighgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
- Primrose HillPrimrose HillPrimrose Hill is a hill of located on the north side of Regent's Park in London, England, and also the name for the surrounding district. The hill has a clear view of central London to the south-east, as well as Belsize Park and Hampstead to the north...
- Regent's ParkRegent's ParkRegent's Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the north-western part of central London, partly in the City of Westminster and partly in the London Borough of Camden...
- South HampsteadSouth HampsteadSouth Hampstead is a district of northwest London, part of the London Borough of Camden. It could be defined as the area between West End Lane, Belsize Road, Finchley Road and Broadhurst Gardens, although the area is largely indistinguishable from the nearby Swiss Cottage.-Nearby places:* Hampstead...
- St John's WoodSt John's WoodSt John's Wood is a district of north-west London, England, in the City of Westminster, and at the north-west end of Regent's Park. It is approximately 2.5 miles north-west of Charing Cross. Once part of the Great Middlesex Forest, it was later owned by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem...
- Swiss CottageSwiss CottageSwiss Cottage is a district of the London Borough of Camden in London, England. Thedistrict is located north-west of Charing Cross. It is centred on the junction of Avenue Road and Finchley Road and is the location of Swiss Cottage tube station.-Etymology:...
- Gospel OakGospel OakGospel Oak is an inner urban area of north London in the London Borough of Camden below Hampstead Heath. It is bordered by the more affluent areas of Belsize Park to the west, Kentish Town to the south, Eastern Hampstead to the North and Dartmouth Park and Tufnell Park to the east...
- West HampsteadWest HampsteadWest Hampstead is an area in northwest London, England, situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to the east, and South Hampstead to the south. Until the late 19th century, the locale was a small village called West End...
Notable residents
Hampstead has long been known as a residence of the intelligentsia, including writers, composers, ballerinas and intellectuals, actors, artists and architects — many of whom created a bohemian community in the late 19th century. After 1917, and again in the 1930s, it became base to a community of avant garde artists and writers and was host to a number of émigrés and exiles from the Russian Revolution and Nazi Europe.Cultural references
- Hampstead is referred to in the song "Young Conservatives" by The KinksThe KinksThe Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
and in "Cross Eyed Mary" by Jethro TullJethro Tull (band)Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
. - Hampstead is referenced in a Monty PythonMonty PythonMonty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
sketch where a famous playwright (with a northern accent and working-class look) sarcastically remarks to his son (who works in a mine): "Hampstead wasn't good enough for you, eh? You had to go poncin' off to BarnsleyBarnsleyBarnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
".
Local newspapers
The local newspapers, as of 2011, are the Camden New JournalCamden New Journal
The Camden New Journal is a free, independent newspaper that covers the London Borough of Camden. It was born out of a strike in the 1980s supported by campaigning journalist Paul Foot, Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson and the paper's editor Eric Gordon...
and the Hampstead and Highgate Express.
External links
- Hampstead Village Online
- London's Literary Village
- Hampstead and Marylebone by G. E. Mitton at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- The Heath and Hampstead Society
- The Hampstead Scientific Society
- The Hampstead Horticultural Society
- Camden Council
- Hampstead Theatre