Saturday, April 30, 2011

Hampstead Heath


Gorgeous Hampstead Heath snapped by me



MY FAVOURITE. AND EVERYONE ELSE'S

I love Hampstead Heath. There, I said it. 

I know I'm supposed to be more original than that but I can't help it. The Heath is so big and diverse that you can never get bored exploring it It has everything: woodlands, fields, a bog, a pergola, hills, bathing ponds, regular ponds, playgrounds, Tennis courts, running tracks and last but not least the manor Kenwood House.






So far I've been too absorbed  with the outdoors to visit Kenwood House properly but it operates a nice café  and I'm told it hosts English Heritage Picnic Concerts in summer. Don't know if I feel the need to watch Tom Jones, Gypsy Kings or Liza Minelli in the park but live music in parks are usually a great combination.

Kenwood House, www.wikipedia.org
I don't just come for Parliament Hill and the Hampstead landscapes. The delightful (some might say 'cutesy, but whatever') Hampstead and Belsize villages also draw me back on a regular basis as well as the fact that you can always find a place to wander undisturbed, picnic or in my case get completely lost on the Heath.




Clearing so pretty I had to run to straight to it after taking this photo


Hampstead branches... trying to catch the red flowers.


View of London from Parliament Hill on a cloudy day - hopefully, you're encouraged to go see what it looks like up close.


Apparently there is a Parliament Hill Café in the area next to the Heath's bandstand. I have yet to visit it. 
       
Abandoned coffees (and a scone!) at the Burgh House, local history museum and café in Hampstead Village
 POLISHED NORTHERN NEIGHBOURHOODS


I usually have coffee around Hampstead High Street before going up to Parliament Hill or the opposite direction up Heath Street to the Whitestone Pond. 


Both walks are lovely and they take you past some really pretty houses before getting to the park. As corny as it is, I really enjoy the polished look and feel of the Hampstead neighbourhood. I've had some trouble catching its charm in photos though...




Sign and police officer (?) in Downtown Hampstead




Blue and Red cars in Downtown Hampstead


Hampstead side street 


KEATS, ORWELL AND FREUD


On your way to Parliament Hill you might stop by Keats House on Keats Grove. The poet lived here from 1818 to 1820 and reportedly wrote 'Ode to a Nightingale' under the plum tree in the garden. 


Fittingly, the next-door neighbour is the Heath Public Library.



On my way to Keats House...
  
Not Keats's House but I had an urge to go in and find out whose... 
   
At the very top of Parliament Hill you'll find this plaque:


www.wikipedia.org
... on this house, no. 77:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/25127834@N07/3153411847/
This house is actually still a private home but like Keats House you can visit the Freud Museum at no. 20 Marsefield Gardens nearby. I've only been past once and unfortunately the museum was closed. It looks like this:


The Freud Museum in Hampstead, www.wikipedia.org 

PONDS AND WOODLANDS

This is just to try to give different impressions of the Heath, what I've photographed here is mainly open woodland at different occasions:

Around Parliament Hill

Up Heath Street to Whitestone Pond...



And into the forest...

Sun in the treetop



Not my best tree-shot 

Even the public restrooms look like something out of a German folktale.


The ladies in Hampstead Heath



The Three Graces on the Heath, Helena is photographing.

My next quest will be to find the 'secret' Pergola, it looks absolutely beautiful. It could take a while, though, since maps are rare on the Heath.... However, wandering aimlessly in parks is what this blog is all about so I'll embrace the challenge. I honestly feel more comfortable 'losing myself' in a park than any other place in London. See the 'about section' if you still fancy a map.

I'll be sure to let you know when I have some personal shots of the pergola, but until then these will have to do: 

Pergola: A raised, covered walkway, www.wikipedia.org


Another shot of the Thomas Hayton Mawson Pergola at Hampstead Heath, www.rawd.edu.net 

FIND OUT ABOUT...

Closest tube: Hampstead, Hampstead Heath

Most of Hampstead Heath is accessible 24 hours a day, see any variations under visitor information. 







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