London - Hampstead

Hampstead is literally cool: in midsummer its height above the city and the green expanses of the Heath keep temperatures a degree or two below London’s more urban quarters, and in winter the snow lingers longer here than anywhere in London. It is Hampstead Heath that gives the area its character and much of its appeal. The Heath is huge: wild enough to lose yourself, and, with its bathing ponds and views, and impromptu summer parties, more fun than any of the city’s parks. But the whole neighbourhood has a special feel, a sense of countryside preserved in the heart of London, with its characterful pubs and streets of Regency villas and Victorian cottages, interspersed by the odd modernist landmark. You don’t need any particular purpose to enjoy a day in Hampstead – the Heath, a walk to Kenwood House, a picnic, maybe a swim, or a bit of shopping on the High Street – is enough, with a good pub to round off the day. But there are some interesting sights, if you’re inclined: Kenwood itself, with its Adams architecture (though the interior is currently closed); the modernist Goldfinger house at 2 Willow Road; Keats’s House, where he penned his Ode to a Nightingale; the Freud Museum, which preserves Sigmund’s couch; and, not least, Parliament Hill, with its amazing views over London. Hampstead also has some seasonal reasons for a visit. There are Saturday night picnic concerts at Kenwood in summer and at bank holidays the Heath (off South End Rd) hosts a funfair or circus.