An Autumn Walk in Hampstead, London
If you had just one morning to spend in London, what would you do?
When I realized my October 2019 trip to Scotland would conclude with a bonus night and morning in London, I started thinking about the endless possibilities and quickly got overwhelmed. Should I rent a bike and ride along the beautiful south bank of the Thames? Should I take a morning stroll in Regent’s Park, then check out an under-the-radar museum? Should I take a Viking-themed bootcamp class and indulge in a caviar facial, two things I most certainly couldn’t do in my small Rhode Island town? (OK, that last one’s a joke — mostly.)
Little did I know, back in the planning stages of this trip, that I’d fall deathly ill with a nasty cold and a case of strep throat. By the time I arrived at Generator Hostel in London, I was one week into the cold and I was barely holding it together. That narrowed down my giant list of possibilities considerably. There would be no bootcamp, no bike rides, and given my penchant for grossing people out with loud, phlegm-filled coughs, definitely no museums.
Luckily, one of my favorite things to do is to get lost wandering around a beautiful neighborhood — an activity that is both extremely illness-friendly and extremely rewarding in a gorgeous city like London.
All that was left to do, then, was to pick a neighborhood.
I wanted to go somewhere I’d never gone before, which eliminated most of the city center. And I wanted it to be a neighborhood that was more about history and beautiful houses than about shopping or cafes, because I wasn’t up for interacting with many people (see: phlegm). That eliminated newly hip neighborhoods in East London like Shoreditch and Hackney, as well as vibrant South London spots like Bermondsey and Brixton.
In the end, it was a tossup between affluent Richmond — bordered by famous green spaces like Kew Gardens, Richmond Park and Ham Lands — and storied Hampstead, which abuts the famous Hampstead Heath. Hampstead won out: Not only was it much closer to my hostel, but it was also the place some of my favorite authors once called home.
The history of Hampstead
Once a quiet Saxon village, Hampstead first became an upper-class enclave in the late 1600s as wealthy people set their sights on locations that boasted fresh air and ample space but were still within reach of the center of London. Hampstead residents hoped that less density would spare them from the plague and the fires ravaging the city.
Hampstead grew larger when, around 1700, a doctor discovered the iron-rich water there and believed it could bring health benefits to those who drank it. Numerous wells sprang up around town, and soon the area became a must-visit wellness destination. For more than a century, fashionable and moneyed people congregated around the wells, drank the water, and took the air at nearby Hampstead Heath, today the largest park in London.
Though the springs disappeared in the 19th century (with the exception of one well that still stands today), the fashionable and the wealthy remained. The town’s population grew steadily after a railway was installed, giving Hampstead a quick, direct connection to the heart of London.
It was perhaps the neighborhood’s easy connections to both culture and nature that drew in some of the greatest writers, poets, creators and thinkers of the day. John Keats, D.H. Lawrence, Sigmund Freud, Robert Louis Stevenson, George Orwell, P.L. Travers and H.G. Wells are among the many famous folks who called Hampstead home.
‘Tis so near to Heaven, that I dare not say it can be a proper situation for any but a race of mountaineers. —Daniel Defoe
Today, the residents of Hampstead are no less noteworthy. The area is a magnet for celebrities who wish to live in London luxury but hope to distance themselves from the prying eyes of paparazzi. Actors and musicians including Ringo Starr, Helena Bonham Carter, Judi Dench and Jeremy Irons now inhabit the very same spaces where writers once toiled away.
Walking in writers’ footsteps
The minute I exited the Hampstead tube station, It was clear to me why many generations of successful creators chose to live here. With its village-like center, its meandering and hilly residential streets and its proximity to countless acres of green space, the place could inspire rapturous poetry or prose from just about anyone.
The neighborhood’s high street is chock full of aesthetically pleasing boutiques, low-key eateries and cozy cafes — the kinds of places that play soft jazz in the background and are never too crowded. I remember thinking, as I passed a block of multiple bakeries and coffee shops, that Hampstead’s establishments seem perfect for writing, reading or catching up with a friend.
On the morning of my visit, I chose to pop into Melrose & Morgan, an upscale eatery and mini-grocery, for a delicious salmon benedict. I left with an assortment of delightful stocking stuffers, including tiny bars of fancy chocolate, jams, chutneys and handmade pastas.
Then, I headed east toward Well Walk, probably the most storied street in Hampstead. Here I found the Chalybeate Well — the last remaining vestige of this area’s wellness-focused past — as well as the former homes of Keats, Lawrence, landscape painter John Constable, poet John Masefield and novelist and playwright J. B. Priestley. Just off Well Walk, I also discovered Gainsborough Gardens, an incredibly idyllic circular park surrounded by stately homes.
From the well, I climbed uphill toward the northeast, coming across a beautiful stone church, former homes of Egyptologists and Victorian actors, and a former “lock-up” where local magistrates temporarily kept prisoners in a dark single cell until they could find longer-term arrangements.
I started to move west from there, but to be honest I lost my sense of direction after a few twists and turns down streets and up staircases. And I wasn’t mad about it — there are worse places to get lost!
After a while, I found myself back on the high street. With less than two more hours to spare until my journey home, I decided to make my way back to central London on foot via the famous Camden Market. After the peace and quiet of Hampstead, the outdoor market’s bustle and crowds felt jarring.
Centuries after Hampstead was founded as a city getaway, it still feels like a blissful world away. I’m so glad I chose to spend my last few hours in the UK poking around this beautiful neighborhood.
Have you been to Hampstead? Tell me — is it as gorgeous in the spring as it is in autumn?
