Hampstead Area Guide

Hampstead is located within the inner London Borough of Camden. The area is well known for the 791 acre Hampstead Heath, a sprawling parkland offering meadow and woodland walking and cycling routes, with playing fields and male, female and unisex outdoor swimming facilities. With outdoor summer shows and concerts, it is also home to the renowned former 17th century stately home of Kenwood House, recently renovated thanks to a £3.9m Heritage Lottery fund and private donations, it holds an impressive art collection free for the public to enjoy, including an original Rembrandt self-portrait as well as works from Turner, Gainsborough and Reynolds. Hampstead is also home to Keats House, the home of the Romantic poet from 1818 to 1820, open to the public to explore and for poetry talks and events. The Freud museum offers a view into the former home of the father of psychoanalysis and the Hampstead museum provides a riveting journey through the history of the area. With venues such as the Hampstead Theatre and the Hampstead Everyman cinema, arguably London’s most impressive, residents are more than culturally satisfied.

For a large part of its early history Hampstead was a peaceful homestead (the Anglo-Saxon translation of the word) until the opening of the North London Railway in the 1860s, after which it expanded and developed dramatically with most of its notable buildings constructed during this period. Architecturally Hampstead is a fantastically diverse area, from 17th century Georgian masterpieces to gorgeous early and mid-19th century streets to high Victorian extravagances; Hampstead has no definitive style but rather a wealth of variety to enjoy.

Hampstead is treasured for its countless independent boutique and designer outlets such as The Button Lady and Cochinechine. With supermarket shopping also available in and around Hampstead’s picturesque high street area, residents are spoilt for choice. The area is also home to a variety of well-known restaurants and bars such as The Flask and the Spaniards Inn, with former regulars including Keats and Dickens. A diverse array of eateries abound with delectable menus from the likes of Jin Kichi, La Cocotte and La Brocca worth sampling.

With great transport links and close proximity to a variety of good schools, the area offers something for every buyer. Hampstead is a great location with a historical, safe and friendly environment atop a hill with commanding views over the city.