Hampstead Guide
Hampstead is worlds away from the noise and bustle of London. Until the 18th century, this area was no more than a village outside London until the discovery of a mineral spring, when it became a gathering place for fashionable members of society to take its therapeutic spring water. Today Hampstead still retains its quaint character, but is an up-market residential area boasting trendy cafés, restaurants and shops. It is also home to Hampstead Heath, covering 790 acres, a popular weekend getaway for Londoners, and one of the loveliest nature areas in the city.
Church Row is one of Hampstead's most beautiful streets. The street is lined on either side with elegant terraced Georgian houses. At the end of the road is St. John's at Hampstead, the parish church with a tall tower, built in 1745. Here is a bust of the poet John Keats, who lived in Hampstead before his death in 1821. Also, the graves of the painter John Constable and his wife are located in the churchyard.
Hampstead Heath is the biggest attraction in the area and only a 10-minute walk from the village. It is a wild undulating wilderness full of magnificent oak trees, grassy fields, private groves and serene ponds, which you can swim in. The Heath is large enough to swallow the crowd and provides excellent views of London from Parliament Hill. In the summer you can attend open-air classical concerts on the lawn in front of the stately Kenwood House, take tea there or visit the museum contents of its interior.
A little south of Hampstead lies Camden Town centre, with its famous bohemian character and crowded weekend Camden Market - the largest street market in the UK. The selection of goods on offer is eclectic and great for browsing. Access is via Camden Town and Chalk Farm tube stations. There is also a good pub area located beside the picturesque Camden Lock.
If you want to venture a little further north, the Royal Air Force Museum is worth a visit, especially for children. The Hendon Aerodrome is the birthplace of aviation in Britain and the museum illustrates the history of flying in war and peacetime, with the UK's largest range of military craft on display. Access is via Colindale tube station.
Hampstead Restaurants
Hampstead Entertainment
Hampstead Shopping
Hampstead Nightclubs
Hampstead Hotel Guide - London
Hampstead is a relaxing place to stay, and we offer best value rates for our Hampstead hotels. It is a wonderfully quiet leafy suburbia with a charming village ambience. Steeped in literary history, the homes of poets, playwrights and actors of past and present are marked by endless blue plaques. Take an afternoon stroll on Hampstead Heath and you can enjoy stupendous views across London, kite-flying and nude bathing, as well as outdoor concerts and high art in the setting of Kenwood House. Hampstead is serviced by the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines at Finchley Road, which provides easy access to the centre of London. Finchley & Frognal Station offers a direct rail route to the new ExCeL exhibition centre.
Our Hotels In Hampstead
Quality Hotel Hampstead - This London hotel is purpose built and refurbished to offer a high standard of comfort, along with its own free car park. This central London hotel is in a quiet street just off bustling Finchley Road and a short ride from London's West End. A wide range of restaurants and leisure facilities are minutes away. A direct rail link to ExCeL is close by. The 02 Leisure Centre and Multiplex is across the road.
