HAMPSTEAD Northern Line (Edgware)
A LONDON TUBE RAMBLES WALK
There is so much to see in Hampstead that I have only mentioned the most outstanding buildings – just keep your eyes open for intriguing bits and pieces as you go, as well as beautiful ironwork and windows. The Underground station itself is interesting. It’s the deepest in London and the ticket hall retains the moulded olive green tiles of 1907. Although actual walking distance is only about 2 miles, you should allow a whole morning for your explorations.
When you emerge from the Tube go left and take the first turning, Flask Walk. This is an attractive mix of small shops and old cottages. Further on it becomes Well Walk. Both these names reflect the history of the area. In the mid 1600's chalybeate springs were discovered. Visitors could take the iron-flavoured water straight from the source, while at the nearby Flask Tavern it was bottled for sale elsewhere. Just before a patch of grass you will see the quaint Flask Cottages – topped with a couple of crooked chimneys. If you look left beyond the cottages to New End you will see the great bulk of the old workhouse/hospital, of which more later. The spa was run as a charity to help the poor of Hampstead. This was later amalgamated with other local charities and at the bend in Flask Walk you will find the old public wash house and baths (1888) , now converted to housing. 
Hampstead abounds in plaques commemorating the great, the good and the artistic. The first one you will encounter is on No. 14 Well Walk , a late Victorian house, home to Marie Stopes, most famous for her pioneering work in birth control.At New End Square you will find Burgh House (1703), now the local history museum. Continue up Well Walk and cross Christchurch Hill to the nineteenth-century Wells Tavern. No. 40 is the house where Hampstead’s most famous artist, John Constable, lived. A little further up, No. 46 has a charming Gothick bay window. On the other side of the road is a drinking fountain of 1882 commemorating the springs which by the end of the eighteenth century had ceased to operate, having lost favour with the more fashionable patrons due to rowdy behaviour and a reputation for immorality.
At Heath Street (note attractive group of cottages across the road to the right) turn left and go over Heath Street at the crossing, then left for the slope up to The Mount, made famous by Ford Madox Brown’s early (1850’s ) social realism painting 'Work’ which depicted navvies laying sewer pipes. (Click on the 'Work' website picture to enlarge.) On the right is a 1694 mansion, No. 6 Cloth Hill. Sadly it is mostly hidden by a fence. Continue to The Mount Square and walk across it to reach Hampstead Grove. Cross to Admiral Walk to see the extraordinary Admiral’s House (The Grove). Built in 1700, towards the end of the century it was occupied by an eccentric retired naval officer called Fountain North who constructed a quarterdeck on the roof and from there fired cannons to celebrate royal birthdays and naval victories. Constable painted pictures of the house and architect Giles Gilbert Scott lived there in Victorian times. Snuggling up to it is a farmhouse, Grove Lodge, built at the same time as the Admiral’s House was the home of novelist John Galsworthy from 1918 to 1933. 
Go down the small road to the left. At the end look across the road (Lower Terrace) to see the pretty house (No. 2) that John Constable stayed in for a short time in the early 1820’s. It was from here that he produced his painting of The Grove. Return to Admiral Walk and go right down Hampstead Grove, which becomes Holly Bush Hill. On the way is Fenton House (National Trust) with a walled garden. This late Georgian merchant’s house has an outstanding collection of early keyboard instruments. The main road at the end of the hill is Frognal. Facing you is Mount Vernon. The dramatic blocks of flats that rear up in over-confident French chateau style were originally built in the 1880’s as a TB hospital to take advantage of Hampstead’s famous clean air (the top of Heath Street, is 420 feet above sea level). Cross Frognal with care and take the railed path above the street to the left of the flats. From here there is a good view of artist George Romney’s house – the one with the weatherboarding. This was originally the stabling of No. 6 Cloth Hill. Continue on the raised path past Mount Vernon Cottages. Next door to these is the house, formerly a girls’ school, where Robert Louis Stevenson once lived. By the side of the house is a downward path, Holly Walk. The Watch House near the top, was home to the first Hampstead Police Force, formed in the 1830’s. Some unfortunate additions in the shape of so-what-ish spindly iron balconies.
A bit further down is an unusual Roman Catholic Church. St. Mary’s (1816) is tiny, but impressive. The tall stuccoed façade is a later addition of 1850 and has a niche with statue of the Virgin, plus a bell cote above. It is not just unusual architecturally speaking, but is an early example of a Catholic church, since it was not until 1829 that 'Papists' were granted full civil rights in England, Wales and Scotland. Although the somewhat out-of-scale facade sits slightly uneasily in the middle of a plain terrace, it is a most appealing set of buildings. Keep going down the fairly steep slope, past a churchyard. At the end of the road, cross Church Row to the brick-built Parish church of St. John (1745-47) and have a wander round that graveyard. There is a helpful sign near the west door with a list of the graves of prominent people.You will find John Constable’s tomb in the south-east corner of the churchyard, up against a brick wall. To the right of the sign, by the path, is John Harrison's tomb, with an explanation of the importance of his famous marine chronometer. Go back to the road via the ornate iron gates, and turn right to see splendid Church Row. These terraces were built in the early eighteenth century and were used as country retreats for Londoners and by visitors to the spa. An oddity - on the north side No. 5 has a large weather boarded bay added later.
At the bottom of Church Row turn left down Hampstead High Street and make your way back towards the Underground. But don’t go home just yet! Walk past the Tube station (Heath Street) and up the hill for about five minutes to discover the old workhouse/hospital, a large brick building just before the New End turning. Just before you reach it, notice the French watchmaker's sign above the last of the little shops. If you look through the iron gates that come next, you will catch a glimpse of a large round structure. This is the Rotunda (1880’s) a huge circular ward with central chimney.
Turn into New End for the hospital buildings of 1849. These have been converted into gated housing units, so unfortunately the view of the Rotunda is limited. The Gothick style building opposite (now a synagogue) was once the mortuary - there is a tunnel under the road which was used for the discreet conveyance of corpses. Continue down the road. The building dated 1853, was once the dispensary and soup kitchen and the plaque on the corner (turn right) records that it was erected in thanksgiving for the parish’s escape from the cholera epidemic of 1849. Now a prep school. Continue down the hill, where the architecture is an entertaining assortment of styles. Turn right again down Streatley Place, an alleyway. This is dominated by the old workhouse chimney and by New End Primary School. This massive building, designed to cater for 612 children, is one of the most daunting Edwardian examples of a London Board School. It is still in use, with a roll of about 400.Now for Mansfield Place - look for the wrought-iron lamp arch - one of many in the area - on the right. This is one of the strangest ‘streets’ of Hampstead, being a cul-de-sac lined with cottages which ends with steps up to the front door of a larger house. The access to the cottages is only a flagstone wide, while the ample gardens with their wooden fences seem to belong to a country town. Towering over all, is the forbidding mass of the old workhouse/hospital. On the other side of Streatley Place are blocks of Victorian tenements. Once back in Heath Street go left to return to the Underground.Access: although it's great that Hampstead has retained a lot of its pre-Victorian tangled street layout, it does make it slightly difficult to navigate, so you might like to print out the map before you set off. Also, please note that because Hampstead is built on a hill, the various slopes and steps involved might make this route tricky for those with walking difficulties or pushchairs.
Note: As you might expect in such an up-market area, there are a number of tempting cafes and patisseries - but they do tend to be on the expensive side.
MAP
www.londontuberambles.co.uk
Hampstead is just one walk from the many to be found at London Tube Rambles. There are architectural gems, beautiful country views, historic places and quirky buildings even in the most unpromising areas covered by the outer London Underground stations. Usually the discoveries are within a mile of the Tube - often only five minutes walk away. If you enjoy this page, you might like to click on the ink above to see the other destinations explored. You'll be amazed at what's out there!
© DR
