HampsteadHeath Trails
The trail starts here atthe Parliament Hill Caf.Follow the trail towards
the chain of ponds.
The chain of ponds onyour right were dug asreservoirs around 300
years ago. The waters of theRiver Fleet feed them. Waterbirds such as herons, great-crested grebes and the pre-historic like cormorants can beseen here. You may even catch aglimpse of a kingfisher.
The pine-topped Tumulusis something of a mys-tery. Some believe it is an
ancient burial ground or theresting-place of Queen Boudicca.More likely it is the site of an oldwindmill or a folly, once visiblefrom Kenwood House.
Just inside the woodlandon your right you will
see what is probably theoldest human-made feature on
the Heath. The Saxon Ditchhas been here since at least AD986. Ancient trees and stonesalso mark this old manorial andparish boundary.
The summit of ParliamentHill will give you awelcome breather and
great views over the city.More mystery surrounds thename. It may simply record thevisibility of the seat of govern-ment, or does it commemorateGuy Fawkes attempt to blowup the Houses of Parliament in1605? Some think that hissupporters lay in waiting hereto witness the deed being done.
This is a goodspot to watchmigrating birds. In the autumn,look for largenumbers ofswallows andhouse martins.
HampsteadPonds
Bandstand
Mil l f ie ld
Lane
HighgatePonds
ParliamentHill Fields
Parliament Hill(Kite Hill)
DukesField
P
DartmoPark95m
98m
Tumulus
Stone of FreeSpeech8
9
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sd
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The Tumulus
Parliament Hill
Trail 1 Parliament Hilland the Tumulus
kingfisher
The trail starts here atthe Parliament Hill Caf.
Follow the trail, via theponds, to Millfield Lane.
This country lane is acontinuation of MillfieldLane, which borders the
area that was Millfield Farm. Itis also known as Poets Lanedue to associations withColeridge and Keats who wereknown to listen to thenightingales here.
The Goodison Fountainwas erected in memoryof Henry Goodison,
involved in the campaign tosave Kenwood House. In thesummer, meadow brown andorange tip butterflies as well asswifts can be found in themeadow beyond. In winter,flocks of fieldfares and redwingsfrom Scandinavia arrive.
In front of you isKenwood House. You
are looking at its south
face, which is from theGeorgian period. The Houseexhibits important collectionsof paintings. The adjacentancient woodlands areinhabited by jackdaws, a rarityso close to London, andbizarrely, ring-necked parakeets.The Kenwood Estate wasbequeathed to the nation bythe 1st Earl of Iveagh.
You are now on the Vale of Health estateroad. Sir Thomas Maryon
Wilson, who had manorialrights on this part of the Heath,built this in 1845. His grand planto build on the Heath waseventually scuppered by localprotestations. Keep an eye outfor treecreepers and nut-hatches, which can be seenmoving around the trunks oftrees. You will now walk via theVale of Health estate road toSandy Heath and onto theHampstead Heath Extension.
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HampsteadPonds
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Bandstand
North Wood
Gate
Hampstead Lan
e
th End Road
West Heath Road
Bra
nchH
i l l
Wel
l Wal
k
East Heath Road
Mil l f ie ld
Lane
Spa
nia
rds
Ro
ad
NorthEnd
Way
KenwoodNursery
ProspectHill
KitchenGarden
The Orchard
StoneBridge
ShamBridge
Gate
DuellingGround
FlowerGarden
HighgateGate
HighgatePonds
ParliamentHill Fields
Parliament Hill(Kite Hill)
DukesField
ThePryors
BirdBridge
East Heath
HampsteadGate
WestfieldGate
WestLodge
MountTyndal
TheElms
SpaniardsInn P.H.
g gRooms
IkinsCorner
BandstandHill Park
Deerclosure
Pergola
The HillGarden
InverforthHouseWest Heath
SandyHeath
North End
HeathHouse
Jack Straw'sCastle P.H.
Vale of Health
FairgroundSite
ThePound
Gate
Stables
Radio Mast
Bull &Bush P.H.
115m
130m
Highgate
DartmPar
112m
95m
98m
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
ConcertSite
West He
athRoa
d
Ham
pste
a dW
ay
B rgh
Sand
yRo
ad
andy
Road
KenwoodHouse
WestMeadow
Mansion CottageInformation Centre
Bog Tumulus
SouthMeadow
Pitt'sGarden
Stone of FreeSpeechLim
e Ave
nue
Viaduct
GoodisonFountain
IceHouse
Fitz
roy
Park
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Kenwood(English Heritage)
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JudgesWalk
SportsGround
Gate
H3
H3
H3
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210268
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H3
Trail 2 Heath Circuit2
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The Goodison Fountain
Kenwood House from the south
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The hedgerow to the left of the path is aremnant of the ancient
woodland, Wylde Wood. Oaksand hornbeams are inter-spersed with hazel, hawthornand elder. To your right are theSeven Sisters Ponds thateventually feed into BrentReservoir. In the summer avariety of damselflies anddragonflies including the azureblue damselfly and thecommon darter dragonfly canbe seen patrolling the area.
On entering Golders HillPark you can see thecontrast with the wilder
parts of the Heath. A largemansion, known as Golders HillHouse, once stood here until itwas bombed during the SecondWorld War. The park has astunning walled garden and avariety of exotic tree species.
Congratulations! Youhave reached theSummit of Hampstead
Heath, the highest naturalpoint in London. To the right isthe Flagstaff, which marks thesite of the fire beacon thatprovided warning of theSpanish Armada in 1588. Forcenturies it was lit to celebratejubilees and other nationalevents.
Pryors Field is anacidic grassland of great
conservation value. It hasa diversity of grass andinvertebrate species. Thenumerous anthills are visitedregularly by green wood-peckers. The greater and lesser-spotted woodpeckers are alsoresident on theHeath.
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Golders Hill Park
Looking south, theHampsteadHeathExtensionshowing thehedgerowsystems
Roesels bush cricket
Red admiral
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2North End Road
Spa
nia
rds
Ro
ad
NorthEnd
Way
MountTyndal
TheElms
SpaniardsInn P.H.
IkinsCorner
BandstandGolders Hill Park
We
st H
eath
Av
e
AnimalEnclosure
DeerEnclosure
WaterGarden
Pergola
The HillGarden
InverforthHouseWest Heath
SandyHeath
North End
ChildsHill
HeathHouse
FairgroundSite
Radio Mast
Bull &Bush P.H.
115m
Gate
GateGate
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
Gate
GateHa
mps
tea d
Way
Sand
yRo
ad
Sand
y Roa
d
Pitt'sGarden
IceHo se
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3
cular
ad
Gate
210268
H3
The trail starts here atGolders Hill Caf. Thetrail takes you through
Golders Hill Park and WestHeath before bringing you tothe Hill Garden.
The beautiful and restfulHill Garden is one of
Londons best-kept secrets.The adjacent Pergola was thebrainchild of Lord Leverhulme,a resident of Inverforth House,in the early 1900s. This coveredwalkway is as long as theCanary Wharf Tower is tall. TheCorporation of London carefullyrestored it in the early 1990s.Recently, brown long-earedbats have been discoveredroosting here.
Behave yourself! Theinfamous Gibbet Elms
once stood close to here.The bodies of highwaymen were hung in a suspended iron framework as a warning
to potential troublemakers.According to local legend, DickTurpin was also associated withthe Heath and is thought tohave used the Spaniards Inn,further to the East.
Just off the beaten track isPitts Garden. This large
walled garden is part ofthe Heath and is now a spec-tacular wilderness with a ruinedclassical archway. It containsareas of recently planted heather,
the Heaths signature plant.
You are now on SandyHeath, which is a
dramatically altered,lunar-like landscape. The steepslopes, sudden hollows andundulations show the placeswhere sand has been dug overmany years. Large areas ofgorse can be found here andprovide a good habitat fornesting birds such as long-tailed tits.
Trail 3 Sandy Heath and the Pergola
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The classical arch in Pitts Garden
3The Pergola overlooking West Heath
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Hampstead Heath is one of a number of open spaces, parks andgardens in and around London owned and managed by theCorporation of London as part of its commitment to sustaining aworld class city. Each open space is a unique resource managedfor the use and enjoyment of the public and for the conservationof wildlife and historic landscape.
A full list of sites and visitor information can be found on ourwebsite at www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/openspaces or bycontacting the Open Spaces Directorate on 020 7606 3030.
SOME IMPORTANT CONTACTS
HampsteadHeath Trails
PRINTED ON PAPER FROM SUSTAINABLY MANAGED FORESTS
Picture credits: Kingfisher/red admiral butterfly, Mike Read. Roesels bush cricketLondon Wildlife Trust.
Emergency Heath Constabulary 020 8340 5260
General enquiries Parliament Hill Office 020 7485 4491Golders Hill Park Office 020 8455 5183
Information on Wildlife, History Education Centre 020 7482 7073and Guided Walks
Superintendents office 020 8348 9908
Website www.cityoflondon.gov.uk