Hampstead Heath circular

     This walk takes in some of the surprising and delightful lesser known parts of the Heath, a 320 hectare area of common land in north London, with a surprisingly rural feel despite being only 3 miles from central London.

     Starting from Gospel Oak station on the Overground, exit the station then tuen sharp left under the railway bridge. At the little coffee hut turn left again. Ahead of you is Parliament Hill Lido, a huge and popular open air swimming pool.  

     Take the asphalt path that starts beside the Hampstead Heath sign.  This follows the railway through mature trees past a running track†.  Continue to where the track turns right up the hill through an avenue of stately trees at the back of large houses.  When you reach the road called Parliament Hill, you can turn right to reach the top of the hill itself, popular with kite fliers and with great views towards central London; or continue to a left turn through woods, dropping down towards Hampstead Ponds.  

     Carry on, with the mixed bathing pond on your right.  Cross the main path ahead of you to take an earth path slightly right rising towards trees ahead of you until you are near the back of a mansion block. Just ahead is a main avenue going east-west, known as Well Walk.  Cross this and continue ahead to a small pond with houses beyond.  

     This is the Vale of Health, originally a little hamlet for people escaping 'the Smoke'.  Just to the right in the woods is a glade with benches, if you feel like a rest, and following the path beyond to a main path after about 100 yards you will find a discrete little cottage with toilets†.  Return to the pond, turning right then left at a lamppost, past a site with caravans, and into the quirky little hamlet itself.  Turn left at the T junction, then right in front of the terrace called Villas on the Heath.  A tiny passage at the end by another lamppost takes you to a group of old cottages. Take another passage to your left, to a metalled road. Climb the steps ahead of you following a path up the hill until you emerge opposite Jack Straw's Castle, a former pub.  Cross two zebra crossings to the front of the building, go to your right then left into a small car park.  Continue down the steps ahead of you, then turn right onto a broad earth path.  After a hundred yards or so you will see the structure of a brick pergola ahead of you.  Take the path before this starting back up the hill and at the end of the wall with railings you will see a gateway with a sign for the Hill Garden.  Enter here and climb the spiral staircase to the pergola.  

     This amazing structure was part of the garden for the large house on your right, Inverforth House, built for a member of the Lever Brothers family in 1906.  Follow this through many twists and turns and steps. At the end is a summer house, from which you can descend to the garden with a long pond to the right.  Cross this and climb the steps at the far end, then a quick left and right take you to the exit gate for the Garden.  Follow the earth track to your right, gently curving past a few houses, until you come to the main Hampstead - Golders Green road.  Cross this at the island to your right (careful, it's busy with a blind bend). Straight ahead of you there's a small opening in the bushes to the right of the Hampstead Heath sign.  Take this, rather than the clearer path going off to the left, and continue through an area known as the Sandy Heath, across a meadow. At a fork in the path take the left fork and continue curving to the left until you find steps up on the right, to a zebra crossing over Spaniards Road. 

     Cross over and follow the path ahead, until a steep descent to the major path ahead: turn left along this (for a shallower descent follow the path along a little ridge to the left, to join the major path).   Continue until you see iron railings ahead: this is the boundary of the Kenwood estate, where you will find a gate and just inside, a sign.  Follow the path around towards a white building, which is the dairy. 

     Continue along the path on this level, curving right, through an avenue of trees to the terrace of the house itself.  Just past the house on the left are the stables, with a cafe†.  

     Next we turn south, along the path that slopes gently down towards the lake, continuing on through woodland.  Passing through the gate of the Kenwood estate we continue ahead on the asphalt path curving slightly right.  When you come to a main crossing path sloping down to the left, follow this with Hampstead Ponds ahead of you.  When you reach them turn right, skirting the first pond and continuing past the Men's Pond and a third pond, with houses beyond.  A little further you come to some single storey brick buildings. Just to the left are toilets† and on the right Parliament Hill cafe.  Turn right in front of the cafe, then left, with  open fields on your right and ahead of you will see the Lido again.  Keep going with the Lido on your right until you reach the main road, turning right under the bridge and back to Gospel Oak station. Use this link to see the route on OS maps.

† toilets

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